Journey with Dragons
by Sir Dolan Death-with-Benefits
Summary: Ixen has been terrified of Pokémon since she was a child. Her friends always talk about starting a Pokémon journey when they finish school, but she is still unsure of her future. That all changes when she finds an egg, and as her journey begins she realises finding that egg wasn't a coincidence.
1. A new year

**Chapter Summary:** Ixen's last school year has finally started, and she's not looking forward to it one bit.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in future chapters, school life during the first few chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

* * *

**Chapter 1: A new year**

It was a cool September morning as the new Year 8's arrived for their second day of high school. Older students were scattered about the school grounds, chatting with their friends as they waited for the school bell to signal it was time to go to tutor. At the school library entrance, a girl in her final year stood waiting for her friends to arrive.

Ixen Scarlett was relatively tall and had raven black hair that was tied back in a long plat with two frontal locks also hanging in plats. She was wearing a dark blue blazer with the school symbol on the pocket over a light blue blouse with a green clip-on tie. To finish off the uniform she wore a pair of black trousers with a pair of black shoes. Unlike most of the students in her year, Ixen was not looking forward to finishing school. She often heard her classmates talk about going on a Pokémon journey or going to college to study Pokémon. It seemed like _everything_ revolved around Pokémon, and that's what made Ixen anxious about leaving school.

She was terrified of Pokémon.

"Hey Ixen." Said teenager looked up to see her friends Hannah and Vince had finally turned up.

"Hey," Ixen greeted with a smile, "what took you guys so long?"

"Vince was hounded by a bunch of Year 8's who didn't know the way to their tutor room," Hannah explained with narrowed eyes. "I swear those girls were only hounding him for his attention."

"Is that _jealousy_ I hear, Hannah?" Vince taunted.

"In your dreams," she snapped. Ixen couldn't help but laugh.

Hannah Wood and Vince Clarkson were Ixen's closest friends. Hannah was a thin girl and had chocolate brown eyes with honey blonde hair that was tied up in high pigtails. Vince was slightly taller than Ixen and had messy brown hair with deep green eyes that captivated a lot of girls. Both were wearing the same school uniform, but with different coloured ties.

Vince sighed and leaned back on one of the library windows. "Just one more year left, and then we can leave."

"It's not even a year if you think about study leave," Ixen said, grinning.

"I have a bad feeling none of us are really going to revise during that time, though," Hannah laughed before a more wistful expression took over as she took in her surroundings. "I'm gonna miss this place when I leave for my journey."

"Same," Vince said with a smile that matched Hannah's expression. "I can't wait to start my journey."

Ixen began to grow a little antsy at the topic of conversation. Hannah seemed to sense her discomfort and made an attempt to comfort her.

"Hey, just imagine all three of us travelling around the Daar region!" Hannah exclaimed with excitement, hoping the energy would lift Ixen's spirits.

It didn't work. "There's no point in me travelling with you guys if I'm scared of Pokémon."

"You don't _have_ to travel with us." Hannah was about to scold Vince for being rude and blunt, but the brunette smiled at Ixen and spoke before she had the chance to. "You could go and study something at college, or even get a job."

"That's the problem," Ixen said exasperatedly, "there's nothing that doesn't involve Pokémon."

Before Hannah or Vince could say anything, the bell rang for tutor time. Ixen, Hannah and Vince were in different houses, so they had different tutors. After saying goodbye, the three headed in different directions to their tutor rooms. Ixen headed into the main building and made her way through the very familiar corridors of the school to her tutor room. Her tutor was based in an English room in the quad. The quad was a large, open, square-shaped structure with a garden full with flowers and plants. Around it was a path that led into the classrooms. Ixen finally arrived at her tutor room and found that her tutor had already gone in.

She entered and saw sitting at one of the large tables was a group of Year 8's who all looked nervous. Ixen didn't blame them. Their first lesson was replaced with spending an hour in tutor to sort out timetables and spending time getting to know the new members of the tutor. Soon enough the bell rang, signaling the end of the first period and the start of the second.

Ixen was relieved to see she had Geography first. She, Hannah and Vince had chosen it as their secondary option for their GCSE's if they didn't get their first option. In the end the trio didn't get into their first option and took Geography together.

She tried to ignore all of the work that was posted up on the displays. Most of them contained some form of the topic Pokémon, and looking at them only made Ixen think and worry more about the future. The summer holidays had kept her mind away from dwelling too much about it, but now she was back at school, she couldn't get away from it. Aspiring trainers can only become a Pokémon trainer after completing their education at the academic age of 16. If students don't want to start a journey, they can get a job or study at college. So far it looked like one of the latter two were going to be Ixen's only options.

"Ixen!" She flinched at the sudden shout before looking at Hannah. She had almost walked past their classroom. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Ixen lied, "I was just thinking about something."

"Worrying about what you're doing after you graduate more like," Vince said with his arms crossed.

"I can't help it," Ixen said. "You guys _know_ what you want to do in your life. I have no idea what I want to do."

"You don't have to decide now, you know," Hannah said softly. "Anything could come up during this year."

"Yeah, you never know what will happen," Vince grinned. "You may even want to start a journey at the last minute."

Their conversation was cut short when the Geography teacher opened his door and allowed the students to file into his room. Displays of regions and geographical sites were posted all over the classroom, the tables were organised into six pairs of two so a maximum of four students could sit around them at one time. The teacher allowed them to find their own seats as it was their final year of Geography. The trio immediately dived for one of the back tables and managed to nab the one closest to the window. The lesson started as though they hadn't just come back from summer break and soon they were learning about the volcano in Hoenn.

Five minutes before the end of the lesson the teacher finally brought up what most of the students had been hoping for. Including Hannah, Vince and even Ixen.

"It's about the camping trip to Blevik Forest next month," he said as he rustled through some papers on his desk. "Those of you who had given back their letter and paid before the summer holidays, you are definitely in. There are just a few of you who haven't given back your letters yet. I will expect those forms to be in by next week."

The bell rang and the class made their way out to break. The trio then had English and Maths that were followed by lunchtime. Hannah often got distracted by having a funny note contest with one of their other classmates to see who could make who laugh the most without getting caught by the teacher. Most of the time Vince would successfully keep on task, but as soon as he and Ixen heard the onslaught of giggles from Hannah, he'd immediately have to see what she was up to. Ixen was a lot like Vince in lessons. Most of the time she would keep on task, but when she'd grow bored, she would turn to the back of her book and start writing a little story to keep herself occupied. These activities would often get the trio, and other students, into trouble for disrupting the lesson even when Ixen would sometimes have no part in it. _Sometimes_.

By lunchtime Hannah had already received one detention. Something she wasn't happy about.

"I really _hate_ that old bat," she growled as they were sitting on the school field to eat their lunch. "I mean, did that _really_ deserve a detention?"

"You did send notes to _everyone_ in the class to tell them all to make a Pokémon noise half way through the lesson," Vince said in a way that suggested Hannah deserved it.

Ixen giggled at the memory. "You have to admit, it was pretty funny."

Oh, it had been hilarious to most of their classmates. As soon as they had sat down in their Maths lesson, Hannah had started writing a single note for every table in the room. She had discreetly managed to get the notes to the other students without their Maths teacher, Mrs Andrews, even _suspecting_ anything, so she had a right shock when her students suddenly started making Pokémon noises halfway through the lesson. Ixen had even joined in and made a few Pikachu noises.

When Mrs Andrews had managed to get her students to shut up, she had given them a large rant about 'acting mature' and 'it's only a few months away from your exams'. That wasn't _exactly_ true. Their exams were in the summer and it had only just become autumn. When Hannah tried to point this out, their teacher immediately blamed her for the disruption - mainly because Mrs Andrews knew what Hannah was like - and promptly gave her a lunchtime detention.

"You guys know how boring her lessons are," Hannah complained. "I was doing all of us a favour by making it more interesting."

Ixen and Vince rolled their eyes and continued to eat their lunch. A few minutes later Hannah was rummaging around in her bag for something with a smirk on her face. Ixen immediately knew she was up to something and called her out on in.

"Hannah, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find something."

"What are you trying to find, exactly?" Vince asked with a raised eyebrow, but he couldn't deny the look of curiosity in his eyes.

Hannah's smirk transformed into a fully fledged grin. "_This_."

Ixen's turquoise eyes widened in shock while amazement took over Vince's face. In Hannah's hand was a red and white sphere capsule with a black rim, finished off with a white button in the middle. She pressed the button in the middle and it expanded in size.

"H-Hannah…_please_ tell me there isn't a Pokémon in there…" Ixen somewhat pleaded with growing fear.

Thankfully, Hannah should her head. "Nah, you know I'm not allowed to carry around a Pokémon. Besides, I wouldn't do that to you."

Youths under the age of 16 who aren't an official Pokémon trainer are allowed a Pokémon as a pet, but they're not allowed to carry them around in Poké Balls nor participate in battles.

"Why do you have a Poké Ball, then?" Vince asked as he looked around to make sure there wasn't a teacher around.

"It's for the camping trip," Hannah told them. "I managed to buy this with my birthday money. The shop owner didn't even know I wasn't a trainer. When we go on the camping trip, I'm going to catch a Pokémon for my journey."

"There's more to catching a Pokémon than throwing a Poké Ball at it," Ixen said, a little calmer after knowing the capsule was empty.

"I know _that_," the blonde almost snapped, "that's why I'm going to be careful."

"That's why you are _not_ doing it," Vince intervened with narrowed eyes.

"Why?" Hannah demanded.

"It's dangerous, that's why!" he exclaimed. "Being a Pokémon trainer isn't all fun and games, Hannah. It isn't about throwing a Poké Ball at every Pokémon you see. It can be dangerous sometimes, especially if you anger a Pokémon."

Hannah was about to say something, but Ixen interjected. "He's right. My sister has told me many stories of about how she's almost gotten hurt by an enraged Pokémon."

Hannah crossed her arms stubbornly. "I'm doing it, and you can't stop me."

"What if we tell a teacher?" Ixen suggested with narrowed eyes.

"You wouldn't!" Hannah gasped. "You _can't_, they'd take my Poké Ball off of me!"

Ixen sighed and looked down at the grass. "You right, of course I wouldn't. But it's dangerous without your own Pokémon."

"That's _why _I need to catch a Pokémon when we go to Blevik Forest. Please, can I _please_ trust you two to not say anything?"

Ixen and Vince exchanged worried glances before giving their answer.

"You shouldn't need to ask us," Vince said in a slightly defeated tone. "We're just looking out for you, that's all."

"We promise we won't say anything," Ixen said and Hannah smiled with relief.

"Thank you!"

Ixen watched as Hannah put the Poké Ball back in her bag. _I won't say anything, but that doesn't mean I'll stop from trying to persuade you otherwise._

* * *

Later that night Ixen was sitting at her desk smiling at her laptop. She had been in a Skype call with her sister for the last hour. Jasmine looked a lot like her. She had black hair that was shoulder length and was parted so it slightly covered her right eye. She wore a pair of thin, red, rectangular glasses, and behind the spectacles were a pair of sky blue eyes.

"How long have you been in the Hoenn region?" Ixen asked.

"I've been here for a couple of days," Jasmine said, her voice ringing out of the laptop's speakers. "It's amazing here. The weather is incredible."

"We were learning about Hoenn's volcano in Geography today."

"Learning about it in a classroom isn't like meeting the real thing."

"Have you seen it already?" Ixen asked with surprise.

"Not yet, I'm going to see it tomorrow," Jasmine replied. "Anyway, how was your first day back?"

Ixen's smile faltered for a moment. "It was…interesting."

"Really? Did Hannah get you into any trouble?"

"She got the entire class to make Pokémon noises halfway through a Maths lesson." Her older sister laughed at that. "She ended up getting a detention for it."

"I'm not surprised." Jasmine's face on the monitor frowned. "What's the matter, Ixen?"

"Nothing's the matter," she lied.

"I know when something isn't right. It's written all over your face."

Ixen sighed and told her. "I'm just worried, no, terrified about graduating. I have no idea what I'm going to do after school. The thought of going on a journey like yours scares me, and I can't think of any jobs or college courses the doesn't always involve Pokémon at some point. What do I do?"

"What does your heart tell you?" Jasmine asked.

"I don't want to be afraid of Pokémon anymore…" Ixen whispered.

"Maybe you should ask Mum and Dad for a pet." Ixen looked up and stared into the screen at her sister. "No, wait, hear me out. If you want to get over your fear of Pokémon, you should get a Pokémon companion. Something small, obviously. Like a Growlithe or a Rattata? Oh! Or even a bird Pokémon! Like a Pidgey or a Taillow!"

"I…could ask them," she said as she bit her lip.

"Ixen, you know you don't have to, right?" Ixen frowned at that. "It's _your_ life. No one else's. Live it how you want. Don't take orders from anybody."

Ixen couldn't help but laugh. "Is that what you told Mum and Dad when they tried to convince you to go to college?"

"Maybe," Jasmine said with a grin.

* * *

**A/N:** Can you tell I like Hoenn?

I couldn't continue with the challenge. I became so busy last week and I then had a bit of personal issues to sort out. And then on top of that, I couldn't get myself motivated. I'll try do another challenge at some point.

Because Pokémon sizes in the game are bullshit, I'm going by my own sizes. (They won't be too outrageous)

Feel free to leave a review, I'd love to read it. Until next time!

Dolan


	2. Camping Trip

**Chapter Summary:** Sometimes to enjoy the thing you love, you need to embrace something you fear. Ixen learns that the hard way.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in future chapters, school life during the first few chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** Hello again! I have a good number of chapters planned out ahead, and I've mapped out the Daar region with my wonderful Paint skills (sarcasm~). I'm still trying to decide whether Mega Evolutions should be involved in this. I'm kind of leaning on the side of not using them. What do you think?

The Trio's (Trio: Ixen, Hannah and Vince) adventure won't start until around chapter 7 or 8 (I've planned that far ahead). I know, you're probably thinking: 'Well what the hell are they doing for 6 or so chapters?' STUFF. That is what they are doing. Basically you'll have to wait and find out. xD

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter 2: Camping trip**

A month after the school term started, Ixen, Hannah and Vince were getting off of the school coach, buzzing with excitement. They were at the entrance of Blevik Forest, lining up at the side of the coach to get their bags and rucksacks out of the luggage compartment of the vehicle. As Ixen shouldered her rucksack, wincing at the weight, she stared up at the tall mountain known as Mt. Dara. It was a tall mountain that was directly in the centre of the Daar region and held a lot of interesting tales that probably weren't true. Blevik Forest was one of the three bases of Mt. Dara that was frequently visited .

Ixen smiled and breathed in the forest air. She loved the outdoors. She loved walking through the fields and up hills, and taking in the scenery of the countryside. Her experience was often disrupted when a Pokémon got too close. She hated giving in to her fear.

"It's amazing…" Hannah breathed when she stood next to Ixen. Her eyes were firmly at Mt. Dara. "Look at that mountain! Think about how many Pokémon live up there! Do you think they'll let us hike up there?"

"Do you even _know_ how hard it is to hike up Mt. Dara?" Vince asked incredulously. "The Pokémon who live up there are so protective of their territory they attack anyone who tries to get to the top."

"Maybe they're protecting something else besides their territory?" Ixen suggested.

"I'm so excited now!" Hannah exclaimed with a grin. "When I'm a Pokémon trainer I'm _so_ going up that mountain."

"Good luck with that," Vince mumbled under his breath before grinning when Hannah gave him a jab.

As September had passed by and the camping trip grew closer, Hannah had grown more excited about catching a Pokémon. Many times Ixen and Vince had tried to convince her to ditch the idea, but Hannah was one of those people who made a decision and stuck by it. This made Ixen and Vince nervous as well as excited when it came to the day of the camping trip. Hannah had even shown them her Poké Ball before they got on the coach.

"Hello all!" a male voice suddenly called, gaining the attention of both students and teachers. The man was tall and had dark hair. He appeared to have a cheery smile as he came down the forest path to greet the three Geography classes. "My name is Zachary Dixon, but you can all call me Mr Dixon. Welcome to the Blevik Forest Campsite."

"Thank you for having us, Mr Dixon," Mr Tucker, the Head of Geography, said as he shook the man's hand.

"No, no, thank _you_ for choosing us," Mr Dixon said, "I've heard a lot about Waterwick High School. Great school, good exam results. It's always nice to see youngsters take an interest in the geographical side of nature. What's a better way than to camp in it? Some of them might even learn some tips to get by as a Pokémon trainer."

Ixen narrowed her eyes and looked down at the ground, finding some blades of grass extremely interesting. She wondered when Pokémon would be brought into it.

"Does that mean we'll be seeing some Pokémon?" a student asked after raising their hand.

Mr Dixon chuckled and nodded. "Of course! This forest is full to the brim with Pokémon. You might even see a few trainers coming into camp here."

Ixen grew edgy while Hannah almost began to bounce with excitement. Vince on the other hand just wanted to get to camping already.

"Now remember everyone," Mr Tucker called out to students, "we're not here for fun and games. We're here to study the ecosystems of the woodland. We'll make up the groups when we get to the campsite. Mr Dixon, lead the way."

"Of course," he said with a smile, "who knows what we'll see?"

As Mr Dixon lead them into the forest, Ixen was doing her best relax and enjoy the trip instead of worrying about whether a Pokémon was about to attack her. Hannah and Vince were the complete opposite. They were trying their best to spot a Pokémon and often tried to get Ixen to join in with them. In the end Ixen settled for searching for odd plants and flowers as Mr Dixon went on about a herd of Sawsbuck and Deerling that lived in the forest. There was a sudden burst of laughter at the back of the group, and when Ixen and Vince turned around they noticed Hannah wasn't with them, but instead at the back causing a bunch of ruckus. Ixen wasn't surprised Hannah had gotten a little bored.

That's when something caught her eye among the noise. Lying on the ground in the grass was a light blue scale. It was pretty, and it gleamed in the sun. Ixen picked it up and examined it, finding that it was pretty tough, but also smooth. The length of the scale took up three quarters of her palm.

"What's that, Ixen?" Vince asked when he finally saw it.

"It's a scale of some kind," she replied as she turned it over.

"Mind if I take a look?" Ixen and Vince looked up to see Mr Dixon looking at the scale with curiosity. Ixen handed it to him and the man took a good look at it. "It's a dragon scale."

Most of the students were now interested in the strange scale. Hannah gasped with delight. "You mean the rare item Dragon Scale?"

Mr Dixon shook his head. "No, not that kind of dragon scale. This is the kind of scale that comes off of a Dragon type Pokémon when they get an injury. This scale looks like it's come from a Salamence."

"A-a _Salamence_…?" Ixen's eyes widened in horror.

"Yep." The camp owner handed the scale back to Ixen. "Dragon Pokémon often make their home up in Mt. Dara. It's not unusual to find their scales around the forest. Especially if they've been fighting for mates. Let's continue our walk!"

Ixen stared up at Mt. Dara, feeling less excited and more apprehensive. Dragon type Pokémon were one of the main Pokémon she feared besides Poison and Ghost types. She looked down at the light blue scale in her hand and decided she was going to throw it away, but when she swung her arm to throw her hand didn't release the object. Hannah and Vince watched her worriedly and Ixen just sighed. She didn't know why her hand wouldn't release the scale, but for now she tried not to dwell on it as she stuffed the scale in her hoodie pocket.

"I thought you were going to chuck it," Hannah said as they continued the walk to the campsite.

"I was going to, but my hand wouldn't let me."

"Are you worried about Mt. Dara?" Vince asked, concern evident in his voice. "I mean, we both know how you aren't too fond of Dragon Pokémon."

_That's a bit of an understatement_, Ixen thought. "As long as they don't visit the camp, I'll be fine."

"I'm a little afraid of Dragon Pokémon as well," Hannah admitted. "I mean, they're pretty intimidating if you think about it."

"They're powerful, though," Vince said thoughtfully. "I might try to catch one on my journey."

"Good luck with that," Ixen and Hannah said in unison.

When everybody arrived at camp the students were given a bit of time to have a break to rest and take in their surroundings. The campsite was a large clear area that had markings that showed where tents were meant to be set up. The trio briefly wondered why there were no tents before coming to a realisation: _they_ had to put them up. After a few minutes, the teachers got the students up and working. What was supposed to take half an hour at the most became an hour and a half as everyone kept messing up. As Ixen, Hannah and Vince were raising the tent, Hannah's hand slipped and their tent lost its shape, falling into a mess. By the time everyone had pitched their tents all of the teachers were annoyed and eager to actually start the tasks that brought them there in the first place.

The three Geography groups were split into ten smaller groups. Vince was put into a different group from Ixen and Hannah, and despite trying to convince someone from the girls' group to swap with him, they were off in different directions in the wood. During the time of learning about the trees and the ecosystem of Blevik Forest, Ixen was extremely nervous and edgy. Every time someone exclaimed that they saw a Pokémon, Ixen would flinch and hide next to Hannah. Luckily, every time that person shouted, the Pokémon was scared away before it could do any 'damage' to Ixen.

The groups swapped locations and studied different parts of the forest all day long. They only stopped for lunch, having a picnic in the forest, and for short breaks to let the students unwind before working again. By the time they were finished the sun was setting over the forest and everyone was boiling in their fleeces, coats and hoodies despite the chilly October air. Hannah sighed with relief when she saw the campsite.

"Oh, thank Helix we're back," she sighed with relief. "I was seriously afraid the teachers were gonna make us work all night."

The thought of working all night in the forest sent chills down Ixen's spine.

Soon enough all of the groups had returned. When Ixen and Hannah asked Vince about his time in the forest, he told them about a Pidgeotto that swooped down and stole Mr Tucker's clipboard. Hannah was howling with laughter when Vince told them how Mr Tucker tried to get it back.

By half eight everyone was sitting around the giant campfire roasting marshmallows and telling spooky stories. Even the teachers were relaxing.

At some point Mr Dixon stood up and everyone went quiet after a moment of chatter. "I have a story of my own to tell. Now, it isn't a scary story or a spooky folklore, but a tale of legends. Does anyone know _why_ Dragon Pokémon live up on Mt. Dara?"

"Because it's secluded," a kid with ginger hair said.

"That's right!" Mr Dixon exclaimed. "It's secluded and it's hard to reach. Even the most skilled of hikers have a tough time climbing up there even without the Pokémon making it difficult. Dragon Pokémon are rare, but they are powerful, and they know they're safe up there. That's where the tale begins. You see, back in the old days there was a large group of travellers called 'The Daralexi'. They had the ability to understand and speak to Dragon type Pokémon both with emotion and language. This ability was passed down by blood. They could command _any_ Dragon Pokémon to do _anything_ they'd want, but they respected their right to freedom. They protected all Dragon Pokémon with their lives.

"One day the travelling group visited the Daar region to see Mt. Dara. They had heard that a large population of Dragon Pokémon lived there and they wanted to see if it was true. They wanted to know that there was a safe, secluded place for them to live. So three skilled explorers set off to hike Mt. Dara and get to the summit. They met many Pokémon on the way up to the summit, not just Dragon types, and passed them with ease. When they finally got to the top they saw three stone stands, all carved in with three different Pokémon who looked similar and different at the same time. On these three stands were three flutes; one flute was red, one was blue, and one was yellow. In front of these three stands was a large stone door that seemed to lead to nowhere as there was no structure behind it. The Daralexi explorers realised they had to play the flutes for something to happen, so with the permission of the Dragons, they played the flutes and the door opened."

Mr Dixon paused for a dramatic effect, but Hannah had to let her curiosity get the better of her. "What happened when the door opened?"

The man sighed, but smiled and continued. "Great power was released, and greedy men wanted it. The Daralexi explorers realised their mistake and sealed the door shut with the flutes before sealing the flutes away in three hidden chambers."

"Does anybody know where the chambers are?" a girl asked.

"Of course they wouldn't," Vince chided, "they're _hidden_."

"Quite, the chambers _are_ hidden. No one knows if they and the flutes truly exist. No one knows if the doorway on the summit of Mt. Dara even exists."

"What happened to the Daralexi?" Ixen asked.

"Ah, during the fight to seal away the flutes, many of them lost their lives," Mr Dixon said.

"Only a few survived, but supposedly stayed in the Daar region. That's how the region and Mt. Dara got their names, from the Daralexi. I assume if they did exist, they bred into the local villages around the region, and their blood has simply thinned over time. There haven't been any reports of people being able to speak to Dragon Pokémon like they could."

A mass of murmurs broke out around the campfire and the teachers hushed them all. Mr Tucker smiled at the camp owner. "Thank you for that interesting tale, Mr Dixon."

"It was my pleasure," Mr Dixon said with a smile before returning to his seat.

They stayed around the campfire for a couple more hours before everyone started drifting off to their tents. Vince was staying in a tent with two of their other classmates while Ixen and Hannah had a tent of their own. The three sat in their tent for about half an hour before Vince had to leave. As he got up Ixen spoke.

"Why do you two want to go on a Pokémon journey?"

"That's simple," Hannah said proudly, "I want to become a Pokémon Master. I want to become the Champion of the Daar region."

Vince rolled his eyes. "Because that isn't cliché."

"Shut up, it's my dream, okay? Why do _you_ want to become a Pokémon trainer?"

"I want to travel around the world," he told them with a strangely light smile. "My parents never got to travel, so I want to do it for them and tell them everything I find, see and learn."

"So you're travelling for your parents?" Hannah asked incredulously.

"They're both valid reasons," Ixen said and both of her friends looked at her. She smiled warmly at them. "Try your best, okay?"

Hannah and Vince glance at each other before grinning at Ixen. "We will."

* * *

Vince, I'm pretty sure your sass is growing. Ixen's name actually means 'fire' in Draconic. You can use the Draconic Translator here: draconic .twilightrealm (obviously take out the spaces).

Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a review, I'd love to read it. c:

Dolan


	3. The egg

**Chapter Summary:** Hannah sets her plan to catch a Pokémon in motion, but when it all goes wrong, it sets Ixen up for a journey of a lifetime.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in future chapters, school life during the first few chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** Hi! I'm going to attempt to upload this at least once a week, but I can't make any promises as the summer is almost over.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3: The egg**

Ixen was smiling with joy as she was floating in the sky over the Daar region. The sky was warm and clear, and when she ran her fingers through the clouds she could feel the water droplets that formed to make the white, fluffy structures. Ixen blinked when the light blue dragon scale appeared in front of her, somehow floating as well. When she reached out and touched it, the scale glowed and grew into a large blue dragon with equally large, red wings. The Salamence formed underneath her and allowed her to sit on its back for a ride. As soon as she was firmly sat on its shoulders, the Dragon Pokémon dived out of the clouds and soared around the peak of Mt. Dara. Ixen could make out the many Pokémon living on the mountain, watching them live their lives undisturbed.

Suddenly, the Salamence landed on the summit of the mountain and allowed Ixen to get to get off of its back. The mountain pinnacle was striking. There were three stone stands that cushioned three flutes of different colours and carved on the stands were three different Pokémon with long twin tails. Surrounding the stands was a semicircle of tall, crumbled pillars that ended before a tall door. A large gear of some kind was carved on the door along with some strange patterns. Ixen could almost make out a Pokémon behind the gear and the patterns.

Ixen could feel the amazing energy there and felt honoured to be standing at the peak of Mt. Dara. She turned to the Salamence with a grateful smile, realising it was her guide.

"Ixen…" it whispered in an airy growl.

"Yes?"

"Ixen," it growled more urgently. "Ixen!"

"What?" she frowned, suddenly feeling tired. "I'm tired, stop talking so loudly…"

"Ixen, wake _up_!"

Deep turquoise eyes snapped open and the dream melted away. Ixen yawned and rubbed some sleep out of her eyes as she sat up.

"Hannah…go back to sleep," she murmured tiredly.

"And miss the chance to catch a Pokémon?" Hannah asked rhetorically. "Get _up_!"

The drowsy fog that was clouding her mind vanished when she processed Hannah's words. "What did you just say?"

"Everyone's asleep - we just need to wake Vince up and get into the forest."

"Hannah, this is insane," Ixen whispered, trying to reason with her. "We could be seriously hurt!"

"You don't have to come with me. I know how terrified of Pokémon you are," Hannah said with a smile as she pulled out her Poké Ball and a torch.

"That's not the point," Ixen hissed, "it's _dangerous_. And if you're going into the forest, then I'm coming with you. I know how stubborn you are, and I know you won't listen to me or Vince."

"I just want to try and find a partner to take with me on my journey," Hannah said. "Please, let me try this one time. If I mess it up and fail, then I promise I won't do something like this again."

Ixen looked her right in the eyes for a few moments before nodding in defeat. "Fine, just this once."

"Thank you," Hannah grinned. "Let's go get Vince."

Hannah peeked out of the tent and glanced about to make sure everyone was asleep before sneaking out. Ixen hesitantly followed, feeling none too confident about roaming in the dark around a forest. They managed to find Vince's tent from memory and carefully zip it open. Hannah and Ixen froze when they saw someone sitting up with a dull flashlight. The figure looked up from whatever he was reading and made eye contact with them before giving them a familiar frown.

"Hannah? Ixen? What are you doing?" It was Vince.

Both girls sighed with relief. "It's you…"

"Yes, it's me," he whispered with narrow eyes, "and now you can tell me what you're up to."

"I'm going to catch a Pokémon like I said," Hannah said quietly.

Vince's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? Ixen, you're _really_ going along with this?"

"If I don't go with her, she'll go by herself," she said with a troubled expression.

"I can't believe this…" the brunette sighed before stuffing his book back into his bag. "_Fine_. I'm coming with you. I swear, if we get found by a teacher I'm telling them everything."

Hannah smirked. "Deal."

Minutes later the three teenagers were standing on the outskirts of the camp. Ixen kept looking back anxiously in case someone had decided to leave their tent. Hannah and Vince were checking the map they were given earlier in the day to decide which path they should take.

"What about this one?" Hannah suggested, pointing at the map. "When we went past there, there were loads of Pokémon about."

"That was in the daytime," Vince pointed out, "they won't be there now. We might find some nocturnal Pokémon, though."

"That settles it, we're going west," Hannah announced before being shushed by Ixen and Vince.

The trio set off into the forest and Ixen immediately grew nervous. Hannah led them with the torch in one hand, and her Poké Ball in the other; shining the flashlight into the dark, shadowy trees. It was nerve wracking, being alone in a giant forest in the middle of the night. There were all kinds of sounds; trees creaking, twigs and sticks snapping, and whenever they heard a Pokémon cry Vince had to hold Hannah back so she couldn't go running off without them.

Half an hour into their search Hannah let out an excited gasp. "Guys…! Look…!"

She aimed the light ever-so-carefully in the direction of what she saw. Ixen's breath hitched and Vince's eyes widened at what they saw: a Beedrill sleeping up high in a tree. Ixen stepped back while Hannah stepped forward, their emotions completely opposite to each other.

"H-Hannah…" Ixen whispered with fright, "m-maybe you should try a different Pokémon…"

"No way," Hannah whispered back with a grin, "that Beedrill is mine!"

Before Ixen or Vince could say anything, Hannah aimed and threw the Poké Ball right at the Beedrill. To the trio's horror, the capsule missed - waking the Beedrill from its sleep - and hit a sleeping Scolipede on the head. The large Megapede Pokémon woke up in a rage before abruptly getting sucked into Hannah's Poké Ball. Ixen and Vince gaped in shock while Hannah whooped.

"I did it! I caught a Pokémon!" she cheered with her arms in the air. "Did you guys see that? I caught a Pokémon!"

What they didn't see was the Poké Ball rolling around in the grass for a few seconds before the Scolipede broke out. The horror returned to their faces as the enraged Scolipede stepped forward, crushing Hannah's Poké Ball in the process, and glared threateningly at the three teenagers. Ixen knew that their lives were in danger at that moment, but Hannah had the nerve to try and tell the Scolipede off.

"H-hey," she stuttered, trying to sound threatening, "that was m-my Poké Ball you just stepped on!"

"Hannah, what the hell are you doing?" Vince hissed at her desperately.

Hannah ignored him and continued. "I spend a good portion of my birthday money on that thing! How _dare_ you? If I had my own Pokémon I'd-"

"Get down!" Ixen screamed before tackling both Hannah and Vince to the ground. They narrowly missed a Pin Missile from the Beedrill Hannah originally tried to catch.

"Oh shit…" Vince breathed as they backed away from an enraged Beedrill _and_ Scolipede.

"Don't just stand there, run!" Hannah screamed and grabbed both Ixen's and Vince's wrists, dragging them with her as she ran away.

During the panic Hannah accidentally dropped the torch, causing the only light source to disappear. Engulfed in darkness, the three teenagers tried their best to find their way back to camp. Ixen could hear the sound of the Beedrill's wings, the sound of Scolipede's stampeding steps, and the sound of their panicked breaths. The situation was making her panic so much that she tripped, losing her grip on Hannah's hand. She heard Hannah's scream and Vince's shout, but they were merely whispered echoes in her panic-filled mind. In a moment of chaos Ixen stumbled to her feet and ran in a random direction, just dodging an attack from the Scolipede.

Ixen couldn't focus on anything as she dashed through the forest. The blood was pumping in her ears, her legs screamed in agony, and she was gasping for breath. Despite all of this she couldn't stop. She knew she was alone in a giant, dark forest full Pokémon and she needed to get back to the camp as soon as possible.

Ixen's eyes widened in horror as her next rash step found no solid ground. The world went into slow motion as her body fell from the momentum of her running. She instinctively put her hands out to try and cushion the fall, but she still let out a yelp of pain as she fell down the hill, landing roughly on a stony terrain. She winced and coughed, feeling a searing pain in her right ankle.

After a few minutes of breathing, Ixen could feel the panic and adrenalin slowly drain from her body, leaving her feeling shaken, bruised and scared. Wincing as she sat up, she checked to make sure she had no broken bones or serious injuries. She had a few cuts and bruises, but her ankle hurt the most. It was obviously sprained.

"_Why_ does it always have to be the ankle in these situations…?" she asked herself before looking up at the slope. There was no sign of the angered Pokémon or her friends.

Ixen contemplated calling for help, but what if those Pokémon hear her and attack her again? They could still be chasing Hannah and Vince through the forest. Oh, _why_ did she freak out and run off?

Turning around, Ixen noticed she was at a large cliff face at the base of the mountain. That wasn't the only thing she noticed. Lying on the mossy floor in the moonlight, surrounded by what looked like a broken nest, was an egg. Ixen frowned and looked up the cliff to see that the ledge the nest must have been perched on had crumbled, causing the nest to fall. How on earth did the egg survive? She limped over to it and carefully picked it up, using the light from the moon to see the patterns on the shell.

The egg was a light blue, just a little paler than the dragon scale she found. There was a small tanned mark at the bottom and a grey marking on top. Ixen checked it over for any cracks, but found none. She was filled with a strange sense of relief. Maybe if she could find the mother to the egg…

"Ixen? Where are you?" Hannah's voice echoed from the forest.

Ixen turned to the forest and called back. "I'm over here!"

She limped over to the slope, trying to ignore the pain in her ankle as she listened to the sound of rustling that was growing closer. Relief filled her senses when she saw Hannah and Vince appear at the top of the steep slope. They both looked tired, but they didn't appear to have any injuries.

"Are you okay?" Vince asked.

"Y-yeah," Ixen said shakily. "I think I've sprained my ankle, but I'm fine."

Both Hannah and Vince sighed with relief. "We're coming down!"

Ixen stepped back, giving them both room to stop as they slid down the slope. She noticed how dirty their clothes were with mud and grass stains, and looked down at her own clothes. Hers were worse than theirs.

Before Ixen knew what was happening Hannah had lunged at her, pulling her into a tight hug. While Ixen was grateful for the affection, she didn't want the egg to get hurt. She quickly stepped out of the hug and checked the egg once again.

"What's that?" Hannah asked, frowning at the egg in her arms.

"It's an egg…I think."

"It's definitely an egg," Vince said. "Where did you find it?"

"It was lying over there," Ixen said, nodding her head back to the broken nest lying on the ground. "I think the nest was meant to be on that ledge, but the ledge must have given way and crumbled."

"Where's the mother?" Hannah asked.

"I don't know," Ixen said, "the egg must have been here for a while. It's a little cold."

Vince looked around, remembering where they were. "We should go. It's not safe here. We'll decide what to do with the egg in the morning. We need to get back before someone notices we're gone."

Ixen and Hannah agreed. Half an hour later the trio were back at camp, but during the trip back Hannah and Vince noticed the protective clutch Ixen had developed over the egg.

None of them saw the strange, faded patterns on the cliff face.

* * *

*dramatic gasp* What could those patterns mean? And what will hatch out of that egg? You'll just have to wait and find out. ;)

As the story goes on you'll start to notice Vince is pretty knowledgeable about Pokémon despite his age (for this story). I'm not sure if there should be a reason for this other than the fact that he tends to read a lot.

Feel free to leave a review! I'd love to read it. :D

Dolan


	4. A slight problem

**Chapter Summary:** The morning after their adventure in the woods, the trio need to make a decision: take the egg or leave it.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in future chapters, school life during the first few chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** Hi! I'd like to say something. _**DON'T PLAY FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S.**_

I'd also like to answer a question Luna the Zekrom asked in on of her reviews (p.s. you're amazing! Thank you so much for your reviews. ;_;). The torch isn't a flamed torch, it's just a normal battery powered flashlight. That's why it didn't start a fire. I'm sure I called it a flashlight somewhere in the last chapter, but I should have been more specific. Sorry. ^^'

To TheFinalElements, thank you for your review as well! You secretly love my cliff hangers. :3

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 4: A slight problem**

The next morning Ixen and Hannah realised the egg might be the least of their worries. During the rest of the night Ixen's ankle had swollen up. It was almost double in size. She looked at Hannah with worry while the blonde was trying her best to concentrate. It was obvious she needed some caffeine to really wake up.

"What are we going to do?" Ixen asked as she bit her lower lip.

"I'm not sure," Hannah said with an irritated sigh.

"What's taking you two so long?" Vince asked from outside their tent.

"Come in and see," Hannah snapped.

"Geez, no need to snap," he replied in an annoyed tone as he entered the tent. His eyes were immediately on Ixen's ankle. "_Oh_."

"Oh, indeed," Ixen mumbled as she held the egg in her arms. Hannah and Vince didn't fail to notice the protectiveness that had developed in Ixen.

Hannah had decided to take the three of them on a little adventure in the forest the night before to try and catch a Pokémon. It ended in angering a Beedrill and a Scolipede, and causing Ixen to hurt her ankle before finding the Pokémon egg in her arms. To Hannah and Vince, it was strange to see Ixen, who was so afraid of Pokémon, to be caring for a Pokémon's egg.

"Ixen, you _do_ know a Pokémon will hatch out of that thing, right?" Vince asked carefully.

She nodded somewhat sombrely. "I know what you're thinking, but I've decided I'm going to take care of this egg."

"HUH?" Ixen almost laughed at how in sync they were.

"I-Ixen, are you sure?" Hannah asked with concern.

"I'm positive," she said with determination. "I want to learn to get along with Pokémon and not be afraid of them. I want to understand them and befriend them, and maybe…just _maybe_ start a journey with you guys."

It took Hannah and Vince a moment to let that information to sink in before returning to a more pressing matter.

"We don't even know if we can get the egg back home," Vince said reasonably.

"He has a point," Hannah murmured. "As soon as the teachers see it, they'll take it off of us before we'd even have a chance to explain."

"My rucksack," Ixen blurted, "my rucksack is big enough for the entire egg to fit in. Would it be okay if I split my stuff up and put it in your bags?"

"That's fine, but would the egg survive the journey in the coach's luggage compartment?"

"I'll take it with me. I'll pull some excuse that I'm more comfortable if my belongings are with me."

"I guess that could work," Vince said.

"Okay, it's settled," Hannah said with a grin. "It's time to set this plan in motion. Vince, how long do we have until breakfast?"

"About ten or so minutes."

"Good, go get your rucksack and get back here quickly."

"Yes sir," Vince muttered before fleeing out of the tent when Hannah threatened to kick him.

"Now onto the next problem," she sighed and looked at Ixen's ankle. "What are we going to do about your ankle?"

"I'm not sure," Ixen said absentmindedly as she ran her fingers over the shell of the egg. "The teachers are going to know it's hurt… Maybe I could say I sprained when we were working in the forest and it got worse during the night?"

"Could do, and if they ask why you didn't say anything before, you can just say it didn't hurt that much before."

"Will that lie really work?" Ixen asked after a moment of doubt.

"Probably?"

"You don't sound very confident…"

"You don't either."

"I can't help it. If we don't pull this off, we'll lose this egg."

Hannah opened her mouth to say something, but Vince chose that moment to enter the ten with a rather grim expression.

"What is it?" Ixen asked, suddenly getting a bad feeling.

"One of the guys knows we went into the forest last night," Vince said as he sat down.

"How?" Hannah demanded.

"They woke up when we left," he told them as he opened his rucksack. "He practically interrogated me just now."

"What did you tell him?" Ixen asked.

"I told him the truth." Ixen's eyes widened in shock. Vince frowned before noticing her protective clutch on the egg. "_Oh_, no, I didn't tell him about the egg. I managed to keep him quiet. Told him about Hannah wanting a Pokémon."

"Did he buy it?"

"I think so."

Ixen let out a breath of relief. "We should start sorting these bags out."

Within minutes the contents of Ixen's bag were in Hannah's and Vince's. She carefully placed the egg into her rucksack before zipping it up. Ixen anxiously shouldered the rucksack, making sure not to be rough with it while Hannah and Vince glanced at her once more before leaving the tent. Ixen took a moment to take a deep breath; maybe she could act as though her ankle doesn't hurt. But when she tried to stand on it normally a searing pain ripped through her foot. She managed to hold back a whimper and rest most of her weight on her left foot before limping out of the tent. Hannah and Vince looked back at her, concern was evident on their faces when they saw how she was walking.

"How bad is it?" Hannah asked quietly.

"It's not too bad if I put most of my weight on my other foot," Ixen said. "I thought if I tried to walk normally the teachers wouldn't notice, but-"

"Wouldn't notice what?" All three teenagers practically jumped out of their skins at the sound of Mr Tucker's voice. They all whipped around, Ixen somewhat gingerly due to her sprained ankle and the egg in her bag, and stared at the Head of Geography with the same thought: _shit_.

"U-um, well," Hannah started intelligently, "Ixen…Ixen hurt her ankle during the trek around the forest yesterday."

Mr Tucker raised an eyebrow and looked over at Ixen. "You didn't mention anything last night."

Ixen tried to act calm, but her mind focused on the egg in her rucksack and she began to panic. "It-it…" Her mind went blank.

"It wasn't that bad last night," Vince interjected quickly. "It swelled up overnight, that's why it's so bad this morning."

"Was I asking you, Vince?" Mr Tucker inquired sternly.

"I didn't want to cause any trouble," Ixen blurted out. "It…it was fine last night, but when I woke up this morning…"

The Head of Geography sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Okay, okay, go see Miss Watkins. I'm sure she has some ice and a compress. Hannah, Vince, I'm sure you can help her there."

"Yes sir," they replied dully in unison.

With Hannah becoming a human walking stick for Ixen, they made their way over to Miss Watkins who was already treating a nasty cut that one of their classmates had obtained on his arm. Miss Watkins was a tall, thin woman with a kind heart. She was often everyone's favourite teacher, but if pushed, she'd readily give you a detention. When she saw the trio making their way over she gave them a 'what have you done, now?' smile.

"Good morning," she greeted as she finished treating the boy's cut. The kid seemed somewhat reluctant to leave.

"Morning, Miss Watkins," Hannah greeted with a smile. "Do you have anything for Ixen's ankle? She sprained it when we were working in the forest yesterday."

"_Another_ sprain?" Miss Watkins sighed and shook her head. "Come on, sit down. Hannah, Vince, make sure she doesn't hurt her ankle even further."

Once they were sat down on the wooden stumps Ixen took her shoe and sock off, and stretched her leg out as Miss Watkins instructed. As she took a packet of ice out of the cool box she asked Ixen the same question Mr Tucker asked earlier. "Why didn't you say anything last night?"

"It wasn't that bad," Ixen mumbled as the events in the forest came rushing back.

"You should have told one of us," she chided. "It wouldn't have gotten this bad. You're lucky we managed to get all of the work done yesterday."

"What time are we leaving?" Hannah asked.

"Probably after breakfast," Miss Watkins said. "Which reminds me, breakfast will be starting soon. You two should go and eat. Ixen will be fine."

Hannah and Vince glanced at each other, obviously hesitant about leaving Ixen alone with the egg and a teacher. "See you in a bit, Ixen."

Ixen waved a nervous hand as they left for breakfast. As Miss Watkins treated her ankle, her mind wandered back to the egg that was snugly sitting in her bag. She said she would take care of the egg, but how? If she did manage to get the egg back home, how would she keep it a secret from her parents? And how would she care for it? She had no idea how to take care of a Pokémon egg. Why did she make such a rash decision without proper thought?

"All done," Miss Watkins announced, pulling Ixen out from her thoughts. She looked down to see the Geography teacher had put a compression wrap on her ankle. "Make sure this gets plenty of rest. You're lucky it's Saturday tomorrow."

Ixen certainly didn't feel lucky.

* * *

When the time came for them to get on the coach back home, Ixen's nerves were fried. As her classmates piled their bags and rucksacks into the luggage compartment and said goodbye to Mr Dixon, she clutched the shoulder strap of her rucksack tighter. Hannah and Vince had already put their rucksacks away and were now standing beside Ixen to make sure both she and the egg got in the vehicle safely. Mr Tucker raised an eyebrow at Ixen's rucksack.

"Why isn't that in the luggage compartment?"

"P-painkillers," Ixen blurted out in a panic. Hannah and Vince gave her a look that obviously said, 'that's not part of the plan'. "For my ankle, I mean."

Mr Tucker narrowed his eyes at her and Ixen squirmed under his scrutiny. "Surely you don't need your _entire_ back to carry a small packet of painkillers."

"Sorry, sir," Hannah said with a grin, "we need to hurry and get Ixen to a seat before her ankle gets worse. Bye!"

Before Ixen or Mr Tucker could say anything, Hannah had grabbed her and dragged her onto the coach. Vince muttered an apology before following his two friends onto the vehicle. They found a row of seats near the back and sat down with Ixen next to the window. She carefully placed her rucksack on her lap as she tried to get her seatbelt on.

"So far so good…" Hannah mumbled under her breath.

"What the hell was that, Ixen?" Vince asked. "That wasn't part of the plan."

"I panicked, okay?"

"What should we do now?" Hannah asked as more students piled onto the coach. "We've managed to get the you-know-what here, but how will we keep it from your parents?"

Ixen blinked. "Eh?"

"She's right, your parents aren't going to let you keep it if they find out," Vince said. "Especially when it could hatch into anything. And we're going to need to get so much stuff. An incubator…that eggshell cleaning spray…possibly an egg monitor…"

"Are you _kidding_?" Ixen blanched at the thought of how much that was all going to cost. "I-I could make a makeshift incubator… We've been using the heating a lot, so I could make a nest by the radiator. I'm sure the eggshell cleaning spray doesn't cost that much, and an egg monitor really isn't necessary, right?"

"I guess the makeshift incubator could work," Vince said thoughtfully, "and the cleaning spray will be cheap to buy. Leave that to me. The egg monitor isn't necessary if you're okay with coming back from school to find the egg hatched."

"It's a chance I'll have to take," Ixen said. "As risky as it is, my parents will notice if I suddenly bring home an egg monitor."

"Has everyone got their seatbelts on?" Mr Tucker's voice rang along the coach, cutting the trio's conversation off short. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes."

Ixen decided to end the conversation there. The hold on her bag remained secure and protective the entire journey home.

* * *

Once Ixen had convinced her mother to let Hannah and Vince stay the night, the three teenagers were immediately up in Ixen's room. Vince stayed by the door to listen out in case Ixen's mother decided to come up the stairs while Ixen and Hannah check over the egg. For the first time since Ixen obtained the egg she let someone else hold it. She kept telling Hannah to be careful as the blonde checked it over for cracks; it made Vince think of Ixen worrying over a child.

"I'm _being_ careful," Hannah said exasperatedly before handing the egg back. "The egg is fine, but how do we know it's even alive?"

The room went quiet. A sickening feeling landing in Ixen's stomach like a cold stone. It was a different kind of fear, a horrible fear for another living being that made her want to throw up. That fear transformed into a protective feeling when Vince suddenly took the egg.

"H-hey!" Ixen exclaimed.

"It isn't dead," Vince stated as he took a good look at it. "If it was dead it'd be a duller colour, and the shell wouldn't be this firm." He handed the egg back to Ixen who felt great relief from both having the egg in her arms and knowing it was still alive.

"How do you know that?" Hannah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My mum has a pair of Liepard," Vince explained, leaning back against the door, "they bred once and had three eggs. One of the eggs didn't make it."

This was news to Ixen and Hannah. "How come you never said anything?"

Vince simply shrugged. "It was a while ago."

The three stayed silent for a moment, no one knowing what to say. That's when Hannah broke the silence with a ridiculous challenge.

"Vince, I bet you ten Poké Dollars I can kick your ass at _Slaughter of Giants_," Hannah challenged with a grin.

"Ten Poké Dollars?" Vince asked before smirking. "You're on."

Ixen couldn't help but laugh as her friends turn on her laptop. The egg remained in her arms for the rest of the night.

* * *

Oh, the Attack on Titan references! By the way, if there are any AoT fans here you _need_ to check out the tribute game made by Fenglee if you haven't already.

Feel free to leave a review, I'd love to know your thoughts. =)

Dolan


	5. Dreams of wings

**Chapter Summary:** A couple of months after the camping trip, Ixen's work looking after the egg pays off when it finally hatches. But what does it hatch into?

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in future chapters, school life during the first few chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** Holy balls. The last few days have been a pain for me. During Wednesday my internet suddenly cut out. After turning my router on and off a few times it still refused to turn on. I checked the landline, and to my surprise my landline, along with my internet, has been cut off. (TalkTalk is shit, I swear. Never go with them) They say they can't solve the problem until the 9th, but I'm still unsure if they'll even sort it then. I'm uploading this at my sister's apartment right now (she's literally playing Minecraft as I type this A/N). I'll return soon! Hopefully…

Thank you so much **Luna the Zekrom**, **TheFinalElements** and **Face (Guest) **for your reviews. I appreciate them!

Luna the Zekrom: You've reviewed every single chapter so far; I appreciate it so much. c: I know the last chapter was uneventful, but I'm glad you've enjoyed the characters.

TheFinalElements: I know it didn't have much action, it was just one of those chapters. I'll try and make the chapters more interesting in the future. I'll also add the details at some point in the future as well, thanks for the suggestion. I can assure you Ixen's name has nothing to do with foxes, but I know what you mean. xD Also, I appreciate the offer for ideas of new Pokémon, but I'm not entirely sure if I'm actually going to add new Pokémon into this yet. I definitely know the 6th generation will be used.

Face: Thank you for your review. Despite it being short, I appreciate the comment. ^^

I hope you enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Dreams of wings**

During the next couple of months life went on quietly. With the help of Hannah and Vince, Ixen managed to look after the egg relatively easily despite the amount of homework and coursework they had to do. Ixen was extremely anxious during the first week at school after finding the egg. Every time she returned home, she almost expected to get shouted at for keeping an egg, but every time her mother would be relaxing in the living room after a tiring day of work.

Ixen had done a good job keeping the egg warm. As winter set in and the temperatures dropped, her parents hadn't argued to keeping the heating on for as long as possible. Ixen had made a nest out of blankets and made sure the egg was secure by the radiator. Vince taught Ixen how to clean the egg's shell with the cleaning spray, and on the days Hannah and Vince knew Ixen was getting tired and stressed, they took it in turns to 'egg-sit'.

By the time the egg finally showed signs of hatching it was December. A blanket of snow had covered the entire town, and children on school break were out making snowmen and having snowball fights. Ixen on the other hand was busy finishing off some coursework on her laptop when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned and looked at the egg that was snugly lying in the makeshift nest of blankets. At first nothing happened, so she returned to working on her coursework. Something caught her eye again.

She looked back at the egg and continued to stare at it with a frown. Just as she turned to look back at her laptop, she saw it. The egg glowed and shifted ever-so-slightly. Her eyes widened and in a blur of movement stood up from her desk. The egg was hatching!

Ixen began to grow excited and panicky. The egg was _finally_ hatching, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. She remembered Vince telling her that whatever hatched out of the egg was going to be hungry and was going to demand it with noise.

"Oh, thank Arceus, Mum and Dad aren't here…" Ixen muttered under her breath.

What was she supposed to _feed_ it though? She had no idea what was about to hatch out of it. Hannah had suggested that it might be a Steel or Dragon type as the egg was taking so long to hatch, but what would it _eat_?

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off when the egg began to glow and shake frantically. Whatever was in it was obviously eager to get out. Without thinking, Ixen picked up the egg and held it in her arms. She decided she didn't want to be alone when it hatched, and reached for her phone to call Hannah or Vince. That's when the egg began to glow almost blindingly, causing Ixen to yelp in surprise. She felt it start to grow and change shape in her arms. Soon enough the light disappeared and Ixen was holding something in her arms like a baby. Her eyes widened when she saw the Pokémon.

It was a Bagon. Most of its body was light blue like the egg; its head was like a large, grey helmet and its arms were very short. There were two tan patches; one under its chin and another on its belly, and it had two sharp fangs pointing upwards from its mouth. The little dragon's eyes slowly fluttered open and immediately looked up at Ixen.

Ixen began to shake with fear. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she was rooted to the spot as her fear began to take over. She had never been so close to a Pokémon before. The Bagon seemed to sense her emotions, because it started crying and fidgeting in Ixen's arms. The movement and noise snapped Ixen out of her momentary panic as the Rock Head Pokémon flailed its little arms about.

"H-hey," Ixen stuttered, "it's okay… Shhh, it's okay…"

Her calm words seemed to be doing the trick as the Bagon started to calm down. She gently rocked the hatchling in her arms, soothing them both as she hummed and cooed. The Bagon looked up at her somewhat expectantly before nuzzling her hand. Ixen felt her chest swell. The fear disappeared and a different emotion replaced it. It was hard to describe; it made Ixen want to cry and laugh at the same time. It was a great euphoric feeling that made her entire body tingle with happiness. Is this what it felt like when a mother held her child for the first time?

"Hi there," Ixen whispered with a gentle smile, "I'm Ixen. I'm your Mum…I think?"

The Bagon growled happily, nuzzling her hand again. Ixen's smile widened and carefully manoeuvred the Dragon Pokémon into one arm so she could stroke its nose. Bagon made what sounded like a whining noise before nuzzling her hand for a third time. When Ixen pulled her hand away, the Bagon blinked, frowned, and then started crying again.

"What's wrong?" Ixen asked with concern when it hit her. The Bagon was probably hungry. She bit her lip. "What am I going to feed you, though?"

Holding the Bagon to her chest, Ixen anxiously ventured downstairs. She glanced in the living room to make sure her parents were still out before making her way into the kitchen. As soon as they were by the kitchen table, Bagon leapt from Ixen's arms, landing on the table with ease before falling over.

"Are you okay?" Ixen asked, fawning over Bagon like a worried mother. The hatchling sat up and yawned. "Please don't do that again… I almost had a heart attack when you jumped." Bagon's only response was a whine for food. "Right, right, you're hungry. I get it."

_But what does a Bagon _eat_?_ she thought as she rummaged around the kitchen for something that was appropriate. _Dammit, why didn't I research harder?_

It wasn't necessarily Ixen's fault that she didn't know what to feed it. She, Hannah and Vince had tried their best to find out what was going to hatch from the egg, but they couldn't research into it too often in case someone found out what they were up to. It didn't help that they had so much homework to do. Hannah had been the first to suggest that the egg could be a Dragon or a Steel type Pokémon. They hadn't been able to find much on Dragon eggs, and anything they found on Steel eggs didn't match with Ixen's egg.

Bagon's persistent growls and whines brought Ixen out of her thoughts. That's when she spotted a box of Pecha Berries that her mother had picked the day before. Ixen remembered hearing that every Pokémon can eat berries, and Pecha Berries would be easy for Bagon to chew and swallow. She brought the box over and held out a berry to Bagon. The hatchling narrowed its eyes and sniffed the pink fruit before snapping it up in one go, causing Ixen to jump back in fear from the threat of getting her fingers bitten off. Bagon swallowed the berry eagerly and stared at Ixen for more.

"Of course you'd want more…" she sighed.

Half a box of berries later Bagon was finally full. Ixen put the box back and scooped the little dragon into her arms before heading back upstairs. The Rock Head Pokémon yawned and snuggled close to the teenager, obviously falling asleep. Ixen placed Bagon in the nest of blankets, smiling as it settled down and fell asleep within a matter of seconds. She continued to watch Bagon sleep for a few more minutes before realising she should call Hannah and Vince and tell them what happened.

As if on cue, her phone starting ringing out the music of Glorious Morning. She quickly answered it before it could wake up Bagon. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Ixen knew it was Hannah when she heard her voice from the receiver.

"Are you psychic or something?" she asked as she looked back at Bagon. "I was about to call you."

"Great minds think alike," Hannah laughed. "Me and Vince are bored of doing coursework, so we're coming to your house. We're gonna have the snowball fight of all snowball fights."

"Huh? Wait, I don't think I'll be able to."

"Why not?"

"Well, the egg hatched."

There was the moment of silence.

"WHAT?!" Ixen winced and pulled the phone away from her ear slightly. "The egg _hatched_? Vince, get your stuff together! Yes, _now_! Didn't you hear what I just said? The egg has hatched! We're on our way, we'll be there in five minutes."

"Wait, Hannah-" Ixen sighed when Hannah hung up.

No later than five minutes Ixen's front door was swung open. Ixen could hear them both storming up the stairs and met them on the landing, keeping her bedroom door closed. At one point Hannah was about to push past her to see what had hatched, but took a step back when she saw Ixen's glare.

"You two sounded like a herd of Rhyhorn's had just charged into the place," she scolded. "You could have woken him…her…it!"

"S-sorry, Ixen," Hannah said, grinning apologetically. "I'm just so excited!"

"Calm down first, he's still asleep."

"Have you managed to feed it?" Vince asked.

Ixen nodded before grinning. "He almost bit my fingers off."

"Can we see him now?" Hannah asked eagerly.

Ixen nodded again and quietly opened the door. She drew a finger up to her lips, signalling for the pair of them to keep quiet before entering the room. As soon as Hannah and Vince were in the room, Ixen shut the door in case her parents came back. She heard Hannah gasp when she and Vince saw the hatchling for the first time.

"A _Bagon_…" Hannah whispered with awe, "he's so cute, Ixen."

"I know," she said with the smile of a proud mother.

"Are you going to give it a nickname?" Vince asked.

"I'm not sure, for now Bagon will do." Ixen frowned and looked at Vince. "You have good a good knowledge of Pokémon, right?"

"I know a little bit," Vince said, scratching his head somewhat bashfully.

"Do you know how to tell the gender of a Pokémon?"

"Oh, well," he glanced at Bagon before looking at Ixen, "some Pokémon have an obvious sign that they're female or male while others might not. I'm afraid it's the latter case with Bagon…I think."

"How do we figure it out, then?" Hannah demanded.

"You'd have to take the Pokémon to a professional."

Ixen immediately shook her head. "No, that isn't a possibility. The only real professional in town is Nurse Joy, and someone will see me walk into the Pokémon Centre with a Bagon in my arms."

"It's either that or not knowing its gender," Vince said bluntly.

Hannah was about to say something when an abrupt growl cut her off. All three teenagers looked down to see Bagon awake and snarling up at them, well, more specifically snarling at Hannah and Vince.

"It's okay," Ixen assured the little dragon as she picked it up. "These are my friends, Hannah and Vince."

Hannah and Vince were currently gaping at the sight of Ixen _holding_ a Pokémon. And not just any Pokémon, but a Dragon type! Bagon narrowed its eyes at the two teenagers and sniffed at them before snorting. Its frown softened before nuzzling Ixen's hand when she tickled its nose again.

"I don't think he really appreciated the sudden sight of two strangers," Ixen said as Bagon gently nibbled on her fingers.

"It's so strange seeing you hold a Pokémon like that," Hannah said sounding dazed but amused.

Ixen smiled, but all of the warmth was directed at Bagon.

"What are we going to do about Bagon's gender?" Vince asked.

"Who says we have to find out now?" Both Ixen and Vince turned to look at Hannah. "We can find that out when Bagon is older. For now let's just enjoy a new bundle of life." She bent down and smiled at the little dragon. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bagon."

A moment later Hannah fell back on the floor after dodging a bite to the nose.

* * *

To call the last three days a struggle was an understatement of the century. Six times Bagon had made a loud noise in Ixen's room. Six times Ixen's mum or dad came up to see what had happened. Six times Ixen had to stuff Bagon in her wardrobe and plead with him - calling him an 'it' felt rude to her - to keep quiet as one of her parents came into the room.

The thought of Bagon getting found by her parents and taken away terrified Ixen. In the short time since he had hatched they had formed a close bond, but that bond wasn't without its difficulties. Bagon demanded food at the most inconvenient of times, and it often resulted in Ixen being interrogated about it being missing. After much research, Ixen found out that Bagon's evolution line were mainly carnivores, but ate berries if they were in dire need. This made it somewhat easier to keep Bagon fed as she didn't need to go out and buy meat.

There was also the problem of toiletry. Bagon wasn't properly toilet trained yet, so there were several accidents on Ixen's floor that ended with Ixen cleaning her floor and spraying air freshener around her room with an open window. Every time Bagon had done it, he did his best to apologise by affectionately nipping at Ixen's fingers. Something she found adorable, and they both knew Bagon knew that.

On the fourth day she finally had the house to herself. And just when she thought she and Bagon would finally get to relax, she heard something outside her window. Standing up from her desk, she looked over the top of her laptop and peered out her window to see about six or seven kids messing about in her back garden. Ixen gaped as they had a giant snowball fight, and not just in her garden but her neighbours' gardens as well. She did what any rational teenager would do.

She opened her window. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"Having a snowball fight, what do you think we're doing?" a kid with a baseball cap shouted back obviously trying to look cool in front of his friends.

"You're in _my_ garden," she pointed out. She was seriously beginning to lose her temper when they laughed at her. "Go have a snowball fight in your own garden."

"Why don't you come down and make us?"

Ixen narrowed her eyes and drew away from the window, pulling it with her but not shutting it completely. She turned to Bagon who was standing on her bed with a curious look. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Leaving her room, Ixen made her way downstairs. The kids must have only been twelve or so. Scaring them off shouldn't be too hard, especially if she threatened to call the police. She slammed her back door open with a sharp glare, not paying attention to the cold nor the snow. All of the kids suddenly turned and looked at her in shock, they were obviously not expecting her to come down and face them. The kid with the cap took a hesitant step forward.

"What? You wanna fight?" he challenged.

"No, I want you to get out of my garden before I call the police." That did the trick.

The group of kids took the threat to heart and climbed over her garden fence before legging it down an alleyway. Ixen's face softened as she sighed, shivering slightly at the sudden change of temperature.

"Ba! Ba!" Ixen immediately recognised that cry and looked up to see Bagon standing on her window ledge, her bedroom window wide open.

Her eyes widened in horror. "Bagon, no! Get back! Get away from the window!"

But Bagon wasn't listening to her. He was watching a flock of Pidgey that were flying past. Ixen could see that he was focusing on their wings and their ability to fly. That's when Bagon narrowed his eyes and jumped.

"NO!" Ixen screamed and dashed forward. She reached her arms up in the air in a desperate attempt to catch Bagon. Ixen had never felt so helpless in that moment. It was like the world slowed down all over again as she watched Bagon fall through the sky. Bagon tried his best to flail his short arms in an attempt to fly, but when he realised he wasn't flying and in fact _falling_, he began to panic and cry. As if it was a reflex, Ixen instinctively leapt up at the sound of Bagon's cry and caught the little dragon in her arms before falling into the snow.

Ixen stood up from the cold as fast as she could and held Bagon in her arms, rocking him back and forth. As soon as he was calm she immediately headed inside and up into her room to call Vince. She found his number in record time and hit 'call' before holding the device up to her ear.

It rang for a few seconds before Vince finally answered. "Hello? Ixen?"

"How much do you know about Bagon's?" Ixen asked, still feeling a little shaky.

"Well, not as much as a someone who studies Dragon type Pokémon. Why?"

"Can you try to tell me why Bagon has just tried to commit suicide?"

"Wait…what?"

"He _jumped_ out of my _window_!" Ixen exclaimed, holding Bagon closer.

"_Oh_, no, Ixen he wasn't trying to commit suicide," Vince assured her. "It's known that a Bagon has a strong desire to fly, so in the wild they jump off of boulders to, uh, 'practice'."

Bagon had chosen that exact moment to jump out of Ixen's arms onto her desk. Her eyes widened in shock as he made his way to the open window. "Bagon, not again!" She lunged for the Rock Head Pokémon, completely forgetting about Vince.

Calling this a struggle was definitely an understatement.

* * *

You probably already knew what was to hatch from this egg. Yup. It's a Bagon! Salamence is my favourite Dragon-type Pokémon, and the 'mascot' for my team. Unfortunately for it Grovyle will always be my number one favourite.

I also apologise if at some point I accidentally call Bagon 'Bacon' without spotting it. I've made that typo several times now. xD

Feel free to leave a review, I love to read it. c:

Dolan


	6. Daralexi

**Chapter Summary:** As Ixen spends more time with Bagon, she unlocks a rare and interesting ability.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in future chapters, school life during the first few chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** You have no idea how excited I am about this chapter. It's going to be a little longer than the other chapters. I also had some trouble about deciding the names of Ixen's parents, so these names might not stick. If you have any suggestions feel free to tell me. I also can't characterise parents for shit. Just saying. It might be bad.

And _Holy Mother of Helix in Arceus' bed_. Thank you so much for the follows and reviews! They mean so much to me. I had originally started writing this for my own enjoyment, but to know that other people are also enjoying it warms my heart. ^^ I'd like to reply to every review I get, but if I do my A/N will end up being too long. So I'll only reply to a certain few. If I don't reply to yours, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it, because I do. So much.

**Luna the Zekrom**: I'm glad Bagon has taken a shine to you. xD Ixen gets into so much trouble with Hannah and Vince, I'm beginning to dread how much that trouble will increase with Bagon now around (it increases…a lot). I will reveal _why_ Ixen is scared of Pokémon, there just hasn't been a right time for me yet.

**TheFinalElements**: I love bacon too much. ;_; Grilled though, not fried. Yeah…it was kind of obvious that it was Bagon. Druddigon is a nice Dragon type, it has an awesome move pool in my opinion.

**Shadow Serenity 57**: I have? :D I'm happy that I've managed to give you inspiration! ^^ I'm also happy you like Ixen's name; like I said in Luna's reply, there just hasn't been a right time.

**SilverMarkings**: Aw, I love that idea. A Bagon called 'Bacon', that's cute. Unfortunately, I'm not really going for nicknames in this story. ^^' Thank you for the suggestion, I appreciate it.

* * *

"Normal speech"

:Dragon speech:

I have to credit to **estalita11 **for the idea of the dragon speech in colons instead of speech marks. I got the idea from it when I remembered reading one of her Harry Potter fics where she wrote Parseltongue in the same way.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Daralexi**

"_Ixen Petra Scarlett_!"

Her father's scream made Ixen jolt out of her sleep. It was Christmas Eve, and it had been two weeks since Bagon had hatched. She sat up with a frown, wondering what her father was shouting about when she noticed a certain little dragon wasn't sleeping next to her. Bagon had taken a liking to Ixen's bed, and would sulk and growl until Ixen let him up. Usually she'd wake up to find him curled by her side still asleep.

Ixen's eyes widened in realisation as she looked over at her door to see it was open. There was another scream, and in a matter of seconds Ixen was up on her feet and flying down the flight of stairs as she followed the sound of Bagon's growls into the living room. She was greeted with the scene of Bagon on one side of the rooming snarling at her parents, and on the other her father was standing in front of her mother in a protective stance.

As soon as Bagon saw Ixen, he let out a relieved cry and dived over to her for comfort. Ixen immediately picked him up and held him to her chest, rocking him gently before glancing worriedly at her parents. They didn't look happy.

"What the hell is going on?" Ixen winced at how angry her father sounded and her heart dropped.

"Dad, I-I can explain," she said meekly.

"I think you'd better do that," he said, his eyes firmly on Bagon.

Once everyone had calmed down, Ixen sat on the armchair with Bagon on her lap while her parents sat on the sofa opposite it. Ixen's father, Wes Scarlett, was a tall man with black hair and was relatively strict. Her mother, Susan Scarlett, was a kind woman with long brown hair. She wasn't as strict as her husband, but she looked bewildered at the sight of a Bagon, a _Pokémon_, casually sitting on her daughter's lap. Bagon hadn't stopped glaring at them since he had entered the living room.

"So?" Wes demanded with his arms crossed. "Where did this Pokémon come from?"

Ixen didn't know what to do. If she mentioned anything about why she had gone into the forest during the camping trip, Hannah would get into trouble. But if she tried to come up with a story, her father would know straight away. Her eyes drifted down to Bagon who was still glaring at her parents.

"I found him as an egg," Ixen said as she ran her fingers over Bagon's head, causing the little dragon to let out a purr-like growl, "when we were on the camping trip. Me, Hannah and Vince went into the forest to explore when everyone else went to sleep. Along the way I got separated from them and found the egg."

"And you took it from its nest?" her father asked incredulously.

Ixen looked shocked. "No! No, I would _never_ do that. I found the egg at the base of a cliff. The ledge the egg's nest was perched on had crumbled and the egg somehow survived the fall. I thought it had been there for a while because it was cold."

"Do your teachers know about this?"

"No, we managed to sneak him back without them knowing."

Wes narrowed his eyes while Susan was looking less bewildered and more thoughtful. "You do realise you can't keep him."

Ixen's eyes widened horror, dread sinking into her heart. She _knew_ this would happen, and whatever she did to argue against it would do nothing. Bagon seemed to sense Ixen's distress and nuzzled her hand in an attempt to make her feel better.

"Hold on, dear," Susan interjected as she watched Ixen and Bagon interact. "Do you really think that's necessary? I know she lied to us, but taking away her Pokémon is a little harsh."

"How are we going to take care of a Pokémon?" Wes demanded, turning to his wife. "It's bad enough we hardly see Jasmine anymore because of how much time her Pokémon eat up. Think about what it's going to be like for Ixen! Taking care of a Pokémon…and a Dragon type no less! She has _exams_ to think about, Susan!"

"Have you even seen what's going on in front of you?" Susan snapped. Ixen recoiled into the armchair slightly, it wasn't often her mother lost her temper. "Look at them! Do you remember what Ixen was _afraid_ of?"

Her father frowned and looked over at them both. It only took a few short seconds before his eyes widened in realisation. It was almost comical how Ixen's father gaped at the sight of his daughter, who was normally terrified of Pokémon, sitting so calmly with a Bagon her lap.

_I have a feeling this reaction is going to be normal for a while…_ Ixen thought as she tickled Bagon's nose who nuzzled her hand in return. It had become a habit for both of them.

Wes slumped back against the sofa with a sigh. "…This doesn't let you off the hook, young lady. That camping trip was in October, it's _December_ now. You've kept this from us for two months."

"I know," Ixen said quietly, "and I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I was scared you were going to take Bagon away from me."

"You are just like your sister." Ixen looked up to see her mother smiling warmly. "She was just as hopeless as you are now. Just come to us from now on."

"So, I can keep him?" Ixen asked hopefully.

"Of course you can."

"Oh, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"Well?" her father said, obviously waiting for something. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Ixen blinked with confusion before catching on. "_Oh_, right, yes…um… Bagon, I'd like you to meet my parents."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bagon," Susan said warmly as she knelt down in front of him. She stroked his head affectionately, causing Bagon's glare to drop as he nuzzled her hand. "He's a cutie."

Ixen couldn't help but smile cheerfully. "I know."

For the rest of the day Ixen's mother wouldn't stop fawning over Bagon. She kept talking about getting a last minute Christmas present for the little dragon. Despite Ixen and Wes telling her Bagon wouldn't really care, Ixen also began to wonder if she should get Bagon a gift. It would have to be something small as she didn't have much money, and it would have to be useful to Bagon. That's when it hit her.

Leaving Bagon with her mother (a rare occasion), Ixen rushed upstairs to her room and rummaged around in her treasure box before pulling out what she was looking for. The Salamence scale she found during the camping trip. She knew she should give this to Bagon, but how would she make sure he wouldn't lose it? Maybe if Bagon could carry it or wear it…

_A necklace!_ Ixen thought with a smile, imagining Bagon wearing the scale around his neck.

That night as everyone went to bed Ixen stayed up. She sat at her desk working hard, finally putting the necklace making kit her mother bought to good use. She would occasionally glance back at Bagon, who was asleep and enjoying the large amount of room on her bed, and smiled before returning to the task at hand. It was about two in the morning before Ixen finally finished.

Yawning, she turned and climbed into bed next to Bagon who snuggled up to her immediately. She smiled again and tickled his nose. "Merry Christmas, Bagon," she whispered before falling asleep.

* * *

Christmas Day was eventful to say the least. Ixen woke up to Jasmine slamming her door open and shouting "Merry Christmas!". Both Ixen and Bagon glared at the blacknette for interrupting their sleep before the siblings gaped at each other for different reasons.

"You're back!"

"You have a Pokémon!"

After much explaining and catching up, the three of them headed downstairs for breakfast. Jasmine wouldn't stop watching Bagon with fascination as he ate. Ixen could see that it was unnerving the poor Dragon type, but no matter how much she told her older sister to stop, Jasmine would continue to study the Rock Head Pokémon. A few minutes later Bagon had finally had enough and abruptly head butted Jasmine in the face, causing her to have a nosebleed. Neither Ixen nor Bagon looked apologetic in the slightest.

"You deserved it," Ixen said for a third time as she helped with Jasmine's nosebleed.

"I'm sorry," Jasmine said sounding muffled against the tissue, "this is the first time I've been so close to a tame Bagon."

"Did you really just call a Pokémon that head butted you in the face tame?"

"He isn't attacking everyone, so yeah, I'm calling him tame."

Ixen rolled her eyes. "So, how was the Hoenn region?"

"You have no idea how amazing it is over there," Jasmine said dramatically. "I have to go back the day after tomorrow, though. I'm filling in for Norman."

"Norman? Who's that?"

"He's a Gym Leader, but he's going away to the Kanto region in a few days. So I'll be the temporary Gym Leader until he comes back."

"No way!" Ixen gasped. "_You_ - a temporary Gym Leader?"

Jasmine grinned at her sister's response. "It's a bit of a shock, huh? I was the same when Norman asked me."

"Do you think you'll become a Gym Leader if it goes well?" Ixen asked.

"Ha-ha, I don't know about that." Jasmine smiled absentmindedly out of their kitchen window. "We'll have to wait and see. Oh! I have tons of presents for you guys!"

After practically being dragged into the living room, Ixen settled down on the sofa with Bagon as Jasmine picked up a large bag that was placed by the Christmas tree. Their mother had done a good job decorating it. Ball-balls in the shape of different kinds of Poké Balls hung on the tree along with other ornaments. Some of them were in the shapes of Pokémon while others were in the shapes of evolution items. Gold and silver tinsel was wrapped around the tree, and to finish it off multicoloured lights flickered. Right up at the top of the tree was a Jirachi star that Ixen's father would always place.

"For you, Ixen," Jasmine said as she handed her white box wrapped with a pretty ribbon.

Ixen immediately pulled off the ribbon and opened the box to find a bright orange rock inside. For a moment Ixen mistook it for actual lava, but realised that wasn't the case as it would have melted through the box. She hesitantly picked it up as she was afraid it would burn her. Surprisingly it was pleasantly warm and not too heavy in her hands.

"I finally went to that volcano," Jasmine said with a smile. "It's rumoured that a Heatran lives there."

Ixen frowned. "What does that have to do with this rock?"

"Professor Birch assumed it's one of Heatran's droppings."

"Ew! Jasmine!" Ixen exclaimed in disgust, immediately dropping the magma rock. Her sister couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

As everyone received their presents it was finally time to for Ixen to give Bagon the scale. At that moment the little dragon was curiously watching the television, his eyes following the movement of the people on the screen.

"Bagon, come here," Ixen called and it took a moment for Bagon to pull his gaze away from the television before he made his way over to her. "I have a Christmas present for you too."

Bagon blinked with his usual curious expression as Ixen pulled out a small box. She opened it, revealing the light blue dragon scale inside. Ixen had managed to carefully create a small hole at the top of the scale to thread a thin steel chain through it. Bagon's eyes widened at the sight of it; sniffing at it and nudging it with his nose. The reaction made Ixen wonder, maybe Bagon knew where the scale came from? She slipped the necklace around Bagon's neck - tight enough so it wouldn't fall off, but made sure it didn't choke the little dragon - and sat back on her heels with a smile. It was perfect.

Bagon glanced down at the scale, holding it up for a moment with one of his short arms before looking up with what Ixen assumed was a look of gratitude. :Thank you.:

"You're welcome," Ixen said with a smile before her eyes widened in surprise. "W-what did you just say…?" Bagon tilted his head to the side. Ixen turned to Jasmine who was sitting only a few feet away. "Did you hear that?"

Jasmine blinked. "Hear what?"

Ixen frowned and looked back at Bagon who was now inspecting the Christmas tree. _Maybe it was my imagination,_ she thought as she watched Bagon pull off a Poké Ball ornament.

* * *

Soon the year ended and a new one began. Ixen had begun to feel more relaxed as Bagon now had the whole house to roam about. She would often take him outside into the garden if the weather was clear enough. Most of the time he would try to find something tall enough to jump off, but that was only the summer table by the side of the house that Ixen's parents would never put away. Bagon would even try to climb up a tree, but his short arms hindered that ability.

The day after Jasmine left, Ixen finally took Bagon to the Pokémon Centre to find out his gender. Nurse Joy revealed that he was indeed male before Bagon rudely tried to bite her for such an embarrassing examination. Bagon received no treats or tickles that night.

Things became relatively exciting when Ixen went back to school. As soon as she stepped onto the school grounds Hannah lunged for her. At first she thought the blonde was going to give her a back breaking hug, but Hannah grabbed Ixen's arm and dragged her over to the front of the school library where Vince was waiting for them. Before she could even ask what was going on Vince showed her a poster showing all eighteen starter Pokémon.

"Starter Pokémon available?" Ixen asked with a confused look.

"Yes!" Hannah exclaimed excitedly. "Professor Hemlock has announced she's going to have them ready in August. Only eighteen aspiring trainers can receive one, so we're going to apply."

"Who's 'we'?" Ixen said with narrowed eyes.

"Us three of course!" Hannah stated.

"You're forgetting one thing. I already have my Pokémon."

"Wait, you're actually planning on going on a journey?" Vince asked with a look of surprise.

Ixen nodded. "It's more for Bagon's benefit than my own. He can't live in my house for the rest of his life. Dragon Pokémon aren't really designed for it, and when he finally becomes a Salamence it'll be harder."

Hannah was absolutely ecstatic. "This is _great_! The three of us going on a journey together! I can't wait!"

"We have to apply first," Vince said. "We should do it as soon as school ends."

"Good luck," Ixen said with a supporting smile.

A few days later something strange happened.

As Ixen worked away at her laptop, Bagon grew restless. He began to tug at her trousers and nudge her side. Usually by then Ixen would see what's wrong, and most of the time it was because Bagon was hungry or bored. It was different today as Ixen had to finish the part of her coursework that was in for tomorrow. She had completely forgotten to do it over the holidays and only remembered it when Vince reminded her.

"I'm sorry, Bagon," she said as her fingers slammed against the keyboard with speed, "I'm a little busy right now. I'm sure Mum could fix you something to eat." Bagon growled and tugged on her trousers harder. "Hey, stop that!"

:Hungry!: Bagon growled with narrow eyes.

It took a moment for Ixen to realise what just happened. She froze and looked down at the little dragon with bewilderment. "What did you just say?"

:I'm hungry!: he growled again. Ixen gaped.

"You spoke," she whispered. "You spoke! I didn't imagine it, you _did_ speak on Christmas Day! You actually spoke!"

Bagon didn't really seem to care about that. He was getting frustrated with the lack of food he was being given. :Hungry!:

"R-right, let's go get something to eat."

Ixen scooped him up her arms and took him downstairs. As soon as she saw her mother in the kitchen she immediately told her. "Mum, you'll never believe this! It's Bagon, he spoke!"

Susan frowned. "He…spoke?"

"Yeah, he said he was :hungry:. I didn't believe my ears at first, but he spoke!"

"Wait, slow down. He said he was what?"

"He _said_ he was :hungry:." Bagon perked up.

Her mother frowned again. "Ixen, I'm not in the mood for games."

"What do you mean?" Ixen asked with a puzzled expression.

"You're not telling me what he said," Susan sighed as she returned to making her snack. "You're growling at me."

Wait…_what_?

"I'm…growling at you?" Ixen asked feeling very confused now. "I'm not growling, all I'm saying is he's hungry."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place, then?" Susan said impatiently. "There are some Pecha Berries in the larder. Next time, don't make a fuss about it."

With that her mother left the kitchen leaving Ixen feeling extremely confused. "What just happened?"

Ixen went back upstairs with Bagon and a box of Pecha Berries. Her mind was all over the place. She definitely heard Bagon speak, but why did her mother say she was growling at her? She wasn't growling. Not from what she heard, anyway. That's when something clicked in her head like a light bulb. She should record herself saying the exact words she said to her mother and play it back. As Bagon tucked into the box of fruit, Ixen turned on the video recorder on her phone and spoke. As she played it back she suddenly felt apprehensive for some reason. She wasn't sure why until she heard the part where she said "hungry".

Her heart began to race, because what she said definitely wasn't 'hungry' in English. It wasn't exactly growling as her mother said either. It was definitely a word, but it was deep, airy and held a mysterious energy to it. Ixen didn't recognise it, but at the same time it felt familiar to her. That's when it hit her.

She turned to Bagon whose mouth was covered in berry juice. "Bagon, I need you to speak again. Anything in that language."

Bagon swallowed a mouthful of berries before complying. :Like this?:

It was completely different from before. She could actually make out the difference. Hearing herself speak this strange language had allowed her to know the difference between English and whatever she and Bagon could speak. But how was she able to speak a different language without knowing it? Was it the language of all Pokémon? Could she _understand_ Pokémon? If so, how did this happen?

"Bagon, am I able to understand everyone Pokémon like this?"

Bagon simply tilted his head and shrugged before returning to eat. Ixen sighed; there was only one way to find out.

Completely forgetting about her coursework, Ixen went back downstairs and out into her garden. The snow had finally melted, and the smell of wet earth was in the air. As soon as a Pidgey landed in one of the trees in her garden, Ixen slowly made her way towards it. She may have been living with a Pokémon for the past month, but she _knew_ that Pokémon. She didn't know this one, so she was still afraid it could attack her. She stopped when she knew she was close enough as the Pidgey gave her a sharp look.

"H-hi," she said nervously. The Pidgey tilted its head with a careful expression. What was she supposed to do? The only word she had spoken in the strange language was 'hungry', so even if the Pidgey _did_ understand her, it wouldn't know what she was talking about.

_Like this?_ Bagon's question popped into her head. That's it!

"I-I was just wondering if you could understand me if I spoke :like this:…" she spoke the words perfectly. It was like second nature to her.

The Pidgey looked shocked at the sudden 'growling' and flew away. Ixen blinked. It was obvious the Pidgey didn't understand her. Did that mean only Bagon could speak it? Was it a language only Dragon type Pokémon could share? If so, why could she speak it?

_You see, back in the old days there was a large group of travellers called 'The Daralexi'. They had the ability to understand and speak to Dragon type Pokémon both with emotion and language. This ability was passed down by blood._ Mr Dixon's words practically slammed into her mind. Why hadn't she thought of that sooner?

Ixen rushed back inside and ran up to her room. There was a berry stain on her carpet where Bagon had been eating, and the Rock Head Pokémon was casually sitting on her bed trying not to look suspicious. Ixen didn't care about that.

"Bagon, does the name 'Daralexi' mean anything to you?"

Bagon's reaction was instantaneous. :Daralexi…are good humans…: he whispered with a mysterious expression. :Dragons everywhere know them. We feel them.: He looked up at Ixen with shining eyes. :Ixen is a Daralexi. Ixen is a good human.:

Ixen sank to the floor. This wasn't happening. This was _not_ happening. Things like this didn't happen to her, so it wasn't happening. But as she met Bagon's eyes she knew it was. If she was a Daralexi, was it really just a coincidence that she found Bagon as an egg? Did that old folklore that Mr Dixon told have more truth in it than everyone first thought? Everything was just so confusing.

"Bagon, how long have you known that I'm a Daralexi?" she asked.

:Just before hatching,: he replied.

"Why haven't you said anything until now?"

:Unable to. Takes time to develop.:

"Like a baby learning how to talk…" Ixen murmured thoughtfully. "Can you teach me? From what I've gathered I'm a fast learner."

Bagon nodded before nuzzling Ixen's hand. She laughed and tickled his nose, glad that some things hadn't changed.

* * *

During the months that followed, Ixen had learnt a good portion of the language. For some reason the word 'learnt' didn't really feel right to her. It didn't really feel like she was learning the language, but remembering it.

It had been a struggle to process the thought that she could actually be a Daralexi, learn - sorry - _remember_ the language, and revise for exams at the same time. During the first days after finding out, Ixen had been pretty doubtful that she was a Daralexi. She had told Bagon on several occasions that he must have made a mistake, but Bagon only became confused by this statement before saying he knew what he felt. Ixen could only trust Bagon's judgement.

Several times she tried to tell Hannah and Vince, but stopped before she could really say anything. Would they even believe her? Sometimes she didn't believe herself, but the conversations she'd have with Bagon in that strange language proved otherwise. For now she decided to keep it a secret. Maybe she would learn more about Bagon and the Dragon language when she went on her journey.

Just before the Easter holidays Ixen realised something. She hadn't even asked Bagon if he wanted to come with her on a journey. She realised this when Hannah and Vince received their letters from Professor Hemlock in response to their applications. As soon as Ixen saw them at school they pounced on her. Again. Ixen had never seen Vince so excited before.

"We got accepted!" Hannah announced with an ecstatic smile.

"No way, _both_ of you?" Ixen asked with astonishment.

"It's so crazy," Vince said with a grin. "To think we'll actually be receiving a Pokémon and going on a journey."

"What Pokémon are you two choosing?"

"A Grass type," Hannah said, "definitely a Grass type."

"Probably a Fire type," Vince said thoughtfully, earning a glare from Hannah. "What?"

"If you get a Fire type I'm declaring you my rival."

Vince grinned again. "I accept. What about you, Ixen? Is Bagon excited about going on a journey?"

Ixen froze. "I…I haven't even asked Bagon yet…"

"And you're getting worried about it?" Hannah asked with a frown.

"What if Bagon doesn't want to go on a journey?"

"Ask him and find out."

That's exactly what Ixen did when she returned home, finding Bagon in the living room waiting for her. Once her mother left the room she asked him.

:Bagon,: she spoke in an airy tone, :how do you feel about going on a journey?:

Bagon frowned. :A journey?:

Ixen nodded. :Yes. I'm planning on travelling around the Daar region with Hannah and Vince. Would you like to come with me?:

:Wherever Ixen goes, I will follow,: the little dragon replied.

:Are you sure?:

:Yes.:

Ixen smiled and held him in her arms.

It was definitely the beginning of a journey of a lifetime.

* * *

Wow, this chapter was _long_. Long for me, anyway. Usually my chapters are about 7-8 pages long. This one was 12 pages long. xD What Pokémon do you guys think Hannah and Vince will choose?

Feel free to leave a review, I'd love to know what you think!

Dolan


	7. Professor Hemlock

**Chapter Summary:** Ixen, Hannah and Vince finally set off to Aust City to Professor Hemlock's lab. But when they get there, two aspiring trainers have arrived before them.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in future chapters, school life during the first few chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** Hello there! Ah, study leave. I remember procrastinating so much during my exams in that period. I blame my friends for distracting me.

Thank you **Luna the Zekrom** (yet again! XD), **Ramaxy18-chan**, **Shadow Serenity 57** and **TheFinalElements **for your reviews! You guys are awesome! :D I'd also like to thank everyone who have faved and alerted this story. You guys are just as awesome!

Luna: You guessed right! ^^ You know the embarrassing thing? I didn't actually realise I had put a semi-twist on that scene until you pointed it out. I laughed at how oblivious I had been. I've also taken your advice about the name and using the translator. The language now has a name, but it won't be revealed until later in the story. Thank you for that!

Ramaxy: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I saw that you've recently decided to follow it, I'm happy to have grabbed your interest. xD Ixen will get another Dragon Pokémon at some point in the story; _how_ many she gets is a different matter entirely. ;) (Her whole party won't be made up of them, though)

Serenity: I know what you mean, it does feel shorter on the website. In my documents they feel quite long to me, though. You and Luna… _Geez_, you two are good a guessing. Almost…_too_ good. -suspicious look- Nah, I'm kidding. Also, about the rock, I'm still not really sure if it's a Magma Rock or not. I'm still deciding as Heatran doesn't really have a role in this story.

Elements: The reason Bagon is friendly when he speaks is because he only speaks to Ixen, who is basically his mother since she's raising him. He speaks to her out of respect. His actions on the other hand are aimed at people he doesn't know, like Hannah, Vince and Ixen's parents. The whole examination thing, Bagon is somewhat…proud at times. So that kind of examination was embarrassing for _him_. As for Ixen's fear, she isn't completely over it yet. She's confident with Bagon, and only somewhat comfortable with smaller Pokémon at long as they're 'tame'. I use tame loosely there. Don't worry about the length of your review, it doesn't have to be long. I'm still grateful for it. ^^

* * *

"Normal speech"

:Dragon speech:

* * *

**Chapter 7: Professor Hemlock**

"It's over!" Hannah shouted before collapsing on a bench. "It's finally over!"

Ixen was almost crying. "I never thought this day would come."

"I'm sure there are going to be tons of parties tonight," Vince laughed.

They had just finished their final exam. In May all three of them had left school early with the rest of their Year Group for study leave. Most of the time Ixen and Vince had managed to revise while Hannah procrastinated, but there were times when all three of them couldn't be bothered to study. It didn't help Ixen when Bagon grew more and more restless when she had to spend most of her time slaving over her exams.

It was a strange kind of feeling Ixen felt when they left the exam hall. Their final exam was over. The final obstacle standing between them and the freedom of a journey was finally gone, and it felt exhilarating. Ixen was sure she should have been feeling worried and anxious about starting a Pokémon journey - she was still scared of Pokémon to an extent- but she wasn't. She wasn't because she knew she wouldn't be alone. She would have Bagon, Hannah and Vince travelling with her. They all knew there may be hard times during their adventure, but at that moment it didn't matter.

"What are you smiling about?" Hannah asked.

Ixen didn't even know she was smiling. "It's just strange. It feels like only yesterday that we were standing here in front of the library on our first day back."

"It's equally strange to see you preparing for a Pokémon journey," Vince said.

Ixen laughed at that. If she had gone back in time and told her past self that she had decided to go on a journey, she was sure her past self would call her crazy. In a way it kind of was. So much had changed in the last nine months.

"You know what I think we should do now?" Hannah asked. Ixen and Vince assumed it was a rhetorical question.

"I swear - if you say, "Let's go have a mini adventure of our own!" I'm going to make sure your parents lock you in your room," Vince threatened as he tried to hide a smirk.

"Vince, don't give her ideas," Ixen scolded, but she was also trying to hide a smile.

"_Actually_, I was going to suggest something a little more normal." Vince raised an eyebrow at that. "We get our results in about a month, and then we receive our Pokémon. Why not spend the rest of our final summer holiday doing something normal teenagers would do?"

"That sounds oddly boring and relaxing." Despite his comment, it was obvious the idea appealed to Vince.

"I like it," Ixen said. "What do you have in mind?"

The way Hannah grinned almost made Ixen regret her question. "You'll just have to wait and see."

They spent the rest of the holidays as 'normal teenagers'. Whatever _that _was. They spent most of their time at each other's houses playing video games, watching horror movies, going to the beach (once) and generally just messing about. Ixen took Bagon along with her most of the time. He had finally learnt to be calm around Hannah and Vince, and even began nuzzling them for tickles and attention. They also took Bagon out for walks around the fields that surrounded Waterwick Town. It was nice to give the little dragon a taste of what it was going to be like when they left.

During the weeks that passed Ixen would often ask if Bagon was sure about going on a journey.

:Do you not want me to come?: he had asked and Ixen immediately shook her head.

:No! I mean yes! I mean… I want you to come with me.:

:Why do you keep asking?:

:I'm just worried,: Ixen admitted.

:What about?: Bagon asked as he tilted his head.

:I don't want to force you to come with me,: she said in that airy language.

:You asked me,: the Rock Head Pokémon stated bluntly, :and I accepted. I would tell you if I felt you were forcing me.:

:I'm sorry for worrying, Bagon.:

:You don't need to apologise to me.:

That was the final time Ixen asked. That conversation - along with many others - made Ixen realise she still hadn't said a word to anyone about her ability to speak to Bagon. She had tried to research about the Daralexi, but all she could find was the legend that Mr Dixon had told them on the camping trip. There was barely any information on them and next to no information on the ability they held. Some people even dismissed the idea of them being able to communicate with Dragon type Pokémon altogether.

Ixen was living proof that they dismissed that idea too soon.

It often made Ixen wonder if there were any other Daralexi out there. If Mr Dixon was right and they had bred into the local villages around the region, how diluted would the blood holding the ability be? How many people could possibly have the blood of the Daralexi running through their veins and not know it? Could her parents have it?

These thoughts would often distract Ixen so much that Hannah and Vince would snap their fingers in front of her face, jolting her out of her 'daze'.

"That's the fourth time you've done that tonight," Hannah said, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm fine," Ixen assured her.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Vince asked.

Tomorrow was the day they received their exam results. July had flown by, and it was now in the middle of August. They were staying at Hannah's house for a sleepover; an early celebration to calm their nerves. It was daunting, almost terrifying, how quickly time went by. Ixen seriously didn't feel ready receiving her results or starting her journey.

"A little," Ixen half-lied, "I'm more nervous about the day after. Once you two receive your Pokémon we'll be going on a journey away from home."

"I guess it is a little daunting," Hannah said thoughtfully.

Vince gave her an incredulous look. "A _little_ daunting? How are you not terrified?"

"How _are_ you terrified? We'll be together, remember? As long as we're together we'll be fine!"

Ixen blinked at that. She realised Hannah was right…in a way. They had had so many adventures already, and there they were; together. They were always standing by each other's side. Sure, they did crazy and stupid things sometimes, but that's just who they were. Besides her family, they were the only people who really accepted Ixen for who she was, and she in return accepted them. The realisation of this made Ixen want to cry so much tears were already rolling down her cheeks.

"I-Ixen? What's wrong?" Hannah asked with worry.

"Come on, you don't need to cry," Vince said comfortingly.

Ixen just shook her head, a sob erupting from her throat. "S-sorry, sorry, I didn't mean- they just started…" She rubbed at her eyes as the tears kept flowing. "I'm sorry… I just realised how lucky I am…to have you guys…"

Both Hannah and Vince looked embarrassed at Ixen's confession, but that didn't stop Hannah from laughing with tears in her eyes as she pulled the blacknette into her arms. That didn't stop Vince from giving her a hopeless smile before awkwardly joining into the hug. As cliché as it felt, they knew nothing could break them apart in that moment.

* * *

Ixen was both anxious and excited as she stared at the large, brown envelope that held the results of all her hard work. Hannah had ripped into hers as soon as she got her hands on her envelope, whooping at the sight of passing every single exam with C's and the occasional B. Vince had just opened his, and was reading his results when Ixen glanced over at him. From the look of his face it seems he did well.

She took a deep breath, and with shaky hands, opened her envelope. Her heart was pounding as she pulled out the sheet of paper that revealed what grades she had gotten. As Ixen read her results a smile crept its way onto her lips. She couldn't help but feel relieved and overjoyed by them as she had passed her exams with C's, B's and even an A. She lunged at Hannah and Vince, and pulled them into a hug with a huge smile. Hannah was still cheering about her results and Vince was now grinning because he too passed all of his exams.

Instead of celebrating until late, they went to bed early to get ready for the morning. They had to get up for a bus to Aust City at 7am. When Ixen woke up early Bagon immediately demanded to know why his sleep was disturbed.

:Today is the day Hannah and Vince meet their new partners,: Ixen told him as she changed into a pair of bootleg jeans.

Bagon perked up at that. :New partners?:

:Yeah, like you and me.:

:I want to meet them too.:

:You want to come with us?: Ixen asked in surprise.

:Yes.:

:I thought you needed your beauty sleep?:

Knowing he was being teased, Bagon snorted. :You're the one who is yawning.:

Once Ixen was ready, she and Bagon made their way to the bus stop where she had agreed to meet Hannah and Vince. On the way there Ixen made sure to speak to Bagon in a hushed voice.

:Listen, when Hannah and Vince get here we can't talk like this,: she told him.

:Why?: Bagon asked with a frown.

:They don't know I can speak to Dragon type Pokémon. It's not exactly a common gift.:

:So no speaking?:

:It's safe if I don't.:

Before Bagon could reply, Hannah's voice rang out. "Ixen! There you are!"

The blonde waved to her with an excited grin as Ixen drew closer. "Remember what I said."

:I understand,: Bagon replied.

"Took you long enough," Vince said. He sounded calm, but it was obvious he was just as excited as Hannah with the grin that was plastered over his face.

"How excited are you two?" Ixen asked with a smile.

"Too excited," Hannah laughed. "Man, my heart is _pounding_! I'm actually about to get on a bus to get my first Pokémon."

"We're just one step away from starting our journey," Vince said as he tried to wipe away his stupid grin to no avail.

"There's the bus!" Hannah exclaimed as the large, silver vehicle came into view. Ixen was glad she wasn't a few minutes late.

It took them longer to get on the bus than they first anticipated as Bagon made a fuss about the vehicle trying to eat him. The bus driver threatened to kick them off if Bagon wouldn't settle down, so Ixen had to promise - somewhat quietly - that the bus wouldn't eat him, and if it tried she would protect him with her life. Thankfully the journey to Aust City was calm and settled, and Bagon was too focused on the scenery flying by to worry about getting eaten. As soon as the shape of the city came into view Hannah immediately exclaimed she could see it, continuously talking about how she was possibly only minutes away from meeting her Pokémon. Ixen and Vince didn't stop her rambling, she had a right to be excited, after all.

Soon they were in the heart of the city, and Bagon began to get edgy due to the fact he had never seen so many people before. Ixen assured him he'll be fine as the bus pulled into a bus lane. Knowing it was their stop, the trio hurried off of the bus, thanking the bus driver as they went, before finding the nearest map of the city. As soon as Hannah figured out the directions she was leading the way to the Pokémon Lab. Ixen was trying her best to stay alert and follow, but she kept getting distracted by all of the interesting looking shops that filled the streets. In the end Vince had to grab her arm and drag her and Bagon away from a shop window.

"I can't help it," Ixen said. "In our defence, that cake looked amazing."

Vince simply rolled his eyes before Hannah gasped. "There it is!"

It was easy to spot. A wide, but small flight of stairs led up to a large, extravagant building in the middle of a busy city. They crossed the road as soon as the traffic lights were red and made their way to the Pokémon Lab. Ixen almost thought the whole building was made of glass when she saw the front of it. The three floors of the building had large glass panelled windows and the outside walls of it were painted with a beautiful white colour. The entrance of the lab looked to be two glass doors that automatically slid open and shut. It was like an angel's mansion.

As they neared the doors slid open and two teenagers walked out looking very happy. The trio almost thought they were seeing double when they realised the teenagers were twins, and one was obviously a girl with that side ponytail. They both had light blonde hair and sky blue eyes.

"Hi there," Vince said with a greeting smile.

The boy smiled back. "Hi, are you three here to get your starter Pokémon?"

"We are," Hannah said signalling to Vince and herself, "this one has already got a Pokémon as you can see."

The twins turned to Ixen and Bagon. The girl gasped as soon as she saw the little dragon in Ixen's arms and dashed right up to them. "You have a _Bagon_? I'm so _jealous_! Where did you get it? Can I hold it? Does it know any cool moves?"

Ixen stepped back slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable with the onslaught of questions. Bagon was faring no better. She had thought Hannah was bad, but this was _way _worse.

"Lily, don't be rude," the girl's brother scolded.

"Ah, sorry," Lily apologised with a not-so-apologetic smile. "I got so excited when I saw your Bagon. It's the first Dragon type Pokémon I've ever seen in person. Anyway, like Luke said, I'm Lily."

Luke rolled his eyes in a way that meant this was usual for him. "And like she said, I'm Luke. Pleased to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Vince said politely. "I'm Vince, and this is Ixen and Hannah."

"Hi," Ixen said quietly, "it's nice to meet you both."

Hannah grinned. "It's a pleasure. What Pokémon did you two choose?"

Lily and Luke looked at each other and smiled before pulling out their Poké Balls. They called out their Pokémon and in a flash of light, two creatures appeared. Out of Lily's Poké Ball was a small, blue penguin that had large white markings around its eyes and two white spots on its front. It brought its beak up in a way that suggested it was very proud of itself. Out of Luke's Poké Ball was a small, green snakelike creature that surprisingly had arms and legs. It drew up its leafy tail and crossed its arms.

The Piplup and the Snivy glanced at each other before looking away. It was obvious the two Pokémon didn't get along.

"Aw, they're so cute!" Hannah exclaimed.

"My Piplup is more than cute," Lily boasted, "he's amazing. We're going to win the Grand Festival together."

Hannah frowned. "Grand Festival? What's that?"

Vince gaped at her while Lily gave her a disbelieving look. "Are you serious? How do you _not_ know what the Grand Festival is?"

"Maybe she isn't a coordinator, Lily," Luke said exasperatedly.

"I'm not anything yet," Hannah remarked. "I'm going to be a Pokémon trainer and challenge the Pokémon League."

"Good luck," Lily said with a smile before ruining it. "Let's hope whatever Pokémon you pick will be half as amazing as my Piplup is."

"You have no idea how 'amazing' your Piplup will be," Vince interjected with an annoyed expression. "For all you know, it might not do that well if you push it too hard."

Lily glared at him. "What did you say?"

"He's giving you advice," Luke said.

"Like hell he is!"

"I-I'm sorry," Ixen quickly intervened, "he really was trying to offer advice. He's just a bit…blunt sometimes."

Lily continued to scowl before sighing. "Fine, it doesn't matter. I'm still going to become a Top Coordinator." She returned her Piplup to its Poké Ball before speaking again. "Hannah, let's have a battle the next time we see each other."

"You're on," Hannah said with a grin.

Luke returned his Snivy and smiled at the trio. "I guess we'll see you around."

They waved and said goodbye before going their separate ways. The brief meeting with the twins left Vince riled. "That girl is a nightmare."

"Be polite, Vince," Hannah said with a laugh as they entered the lab. "I think she was alright."

"How are you laughing?" Vince asked incredulously. "Didn't you hear how she was putting your Pokémon down before you've even received it?"

"That's exactly _why_ I'm laughing. She has no idea what Pokémon I'm going to choose, and she has no idea how strong it will become. One day I'm going to beat her in a battle, and she'll wonder why her Pokémon isn't so 'amazing'."

Before Vince could speak Ixen beat him to it. "Stop worrying about it, Vince. Don't let this ruin your day."

"Okay, okay," he sighed, "I'll leave it."

The interior of the lab was just as extravagant as the exterior. Everything was tidy and spotless. A lovely red carpet was laid out on every corridor floor, beautiful tall plants were leant against the walls and the occasional bookcase separated them to give the place a homey feeling. The trio followed the directions the receptionist had given them until they finally found Professor Hemlock's room. Hannah knocked on the door and a curt 'come in' was the reply. They all stepped inside to see a woman in a lab coat sitting at her desk. They assumed her to be Professor Hemlock, but none of them wanted to say anything. She was wearing a terribly stern expression on her face as she read the book the that was in her hands. Ixen and Hannah gave Vince look that said "you do it", making Vince glare at them before nervously stepping forward.

"Um, excuse me?" he said hesitantly.

The woman looked up from her book and almost immediately her stern look was replaced with a warm smile. "Hello! Welcome! I'm glad you could make it. I'm Professor Sage Hemlock, I assume you three are here to receive your starter Pokémon and Pokédex?"

Sage Hemlock was tall and had light ginger hair with one of her front locks tucked behind her ear. She welcomed them into her lab room which was large and full of all sorts of scientific and electronic equipment. On the far side of the room stood eighteen stands. All but two of the stands had a Poké Ball sitting on top.

"You three are my second batch of new trainers to arrive," Professor Hemlock chirped happily as she led them to the stands.

"Excuse me, uh, Professor Hemlock," Ixen said somewhat hurriedly, "I'm not one of the trainers coming in to receive a Pokémon. I'm simply here for support."

"Is that so?" The scientific professor smiled anyway. "That's perfectly fine. I didn't even see your Bagon there I was so excited. Hello there, Bagon."

Bagon sniffed at her before drawing back. :She has a strange spot near her left eye.:

Ixen gaped despite the fact no one could hear him. Professor Hemlock laughed and for a brief moment Ixen thought she could understand him.

"I see he's taken a liking to my beauty spot with the way he looks at it," she said with a grin. "He's cute."

:Why does everyone call me cute?: Bagon demanded, causing Professor Hemlock to laugh again. :I am not cute! Ixen, tell her I am not cu…: The little dragon trailed off when he saw her face. :You think I'm cute too, don't you?:

Ixen nodded ever-so-slightly so only Bagon could see. The smile on her face was getting ridiculous. Bagon growled and snorted.

"Have you two thought about who you would like to choose?" Professor Hemlock asked as Hannah and Vince looked through the photos on the stands. "Choose wisely, because this Pokémon will become a dear partner to you."

Hannah stepped forward first with a decisive expression. "I choose this one." Ixen watched as she picked up the Poké Ball above the fourth photo.

"Ah, Chikorita," Professor Hemlock said pleasantly. "A nice choice."

Hannah smiled at the red and white capsule holding her lifetime partner before calling the Pokémon out. "Chikorita, I choose you!"

In a flash of light, a light and dark green creature came out. The Leaf Pokémon stood on all fours with a large leaf sprouting from its head. The Chikorita looked up, flipping its leaf back, before looking at Hannah with deep red eyes. The Pokémon's movements reminded Ixen of a certain song. What was it called? _I Flip My Hair Back and Forth_? No, that wasn't it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chikorita," Hannah said with a gleeful smile.

"Chik! Chika!" the Chikorita yipped back before glancing at Bagon.

Bagon tilted his head with a curious look, almost like he was sizing Chikorita up. Ixen kept a nervous eye on Chikorita in case it decided to come any closer.

Chikorita blinked before looking at Hannah with determination. Before Hannah could ask what was wrong, the Leaf Pokémon suddenly jumped into her arms.

"W-whoa!" Hannah exclaimed as she struggled to keep a hold of Chikorita. She couldn't help but laugh as she righted the Grass type in her arms. "That was a surprise and a half."

Vince smiled before looking back at the remaining fifteen Poké Balls. He finally stepped forward and picked up the eighth Poké Ball. "This one, I choose this one."

"Torchic, huh?" Professor Hemlock grinned. "Are ya sure?"

Vince nodded. "Absolutely. Torchic, I choose you!"

A small, yellow and orange chick appeared out of the Poké Ball in a flash of light. The little Fire type ruffled its feathers before looking up at Vince with a small chirp. Vince smiled and knelt down. "Hi there, Torchic. It's nice to meet you."

"Tor-Torchic!" the Chick Pokémon chirped happily.

Chikorita jumped out of Hannah's arms and greeted Torchic with a grin. Torchic leaned in close to the Leaf Pokémon before rudely pecking her on the forehead, causing Chikorita to cry out in pain. Ixen gaped and took a subconscious step away from the little chick while Hannah darted forward, checking the small, faint bruise that was now forming on Chikorita's head.

"Torchic, that was rude," Vince scolded. "Chikorita was only trying to make friends."

Torchic huffed and apologised somewhat reluctantly before standing behind Vince's legs.

"Here." Professor Hemlock held out two red devices to Hannah and Vince. The devices looked like a mash up of the Sinnoh Pokédex and the Kalos Pokédex. They were thin and square-shaped like the Kalos dex before it's slid open, and when Hannah and Vince flipped them open, they revealed a screen underneath the lid and a screen on the main part of the device like the Sinnoh dex. There didn't appear to be any buttons, and it seemed to turn off automatically when they closed the lid again.

"So _this_ is the Daar region's Pokédex," Vince said in awe as he looked over the device.

"That's right," Professor Hemlock said cheerfully. "You probably already know, but a Pokédex is like an encyclopaedia, containing information about many different kinds of Pokémon. We're still discovering new species as well as discovering new information on Pokémon we've already discovered. Your encyclopaedias will obviously be empty as you're just starting, so why not try them out on your new partners and learn their move sets?"

Hannah grinned, obviously eager to get started and turned to Chikorita. Ixen and Vince watched as she flipped her Pokédex open and held it out to the Leaf Pokémon before frowning at the blue, blank screens. She turned back to the professor.

"How…?" Hannah looked a little worried.

"It's fine," Professor Hemlock assured her. "The bottom screen is a touch screen. Slide your finger across it before holding it out to your Pokémon."

Hannah nodded and slid her finger across the bottom screen, watching a white line follow her fingertip. The blue screen burst into life with the top screen searching for an eligible Pokémon to scan with the target system. Hannah held it out to Chikorita, watching as the Pokédex scanned the Leaf Pokémon. Ixen and Vince hovered behind her shoulders, watching as Chikorita appeared on the top screen before all three gaped as a perfect 3D hologram of the Grass type was being projected from the bottom screen.

"Chikorita - the Leaf Pokémon. It uses the leaf on its head to determine the temperature and humidity. It loves to sunbathe. This particular Chikorita knows the moves Tackle, Growl and Razor Leaf." Hannah listened intently as the Pokédex voiced out the information.

The hologram faded away and the device returned to normal.

"That thing is amazing," Ixen breathed, and Bagon nodded in agreement.

"I need to try it," Vince said before turning to Torchic. He slid his finger across the bottom screen, the white line following his fingertip just like Hannah's and both screens became active. He held it out to Torchic, who leaned up in an attempt to peck it as the Pokédex scanned him. Torchic appeared on the top screen before a hologram of the Fire type was projected.

"Torchic - the Chick Pokémon. A fire burns inside, so it feels warm to hug. It launches fireballs of one thousand, eight hundred degrees Fahrenheit. This particular Torchic knows the moves Scratch, Focus Energy and Ember."

"Both Pokémon sound amazing," Ixen said somewhat hesitantly before adding, "and dangerous..." Despite her obvious unease, she wished she too had a Pokédex.

"I'm also to give you both these," Professor Hemlock said as Hannah and Vince tucked their devices away. They both accepted the boxes the professor held out to them, opening them up to see five miniaturised Poké Balls in each. "You'll need something to catch other Pokémon. When you need more, and trust me, you will, you can go to the Poké Mart to buy more Poké Balls and other supplies."

"Thank you so much," Hannah said with glee, her face positively beaming.

"We'll do our best," Vince promised with a determined expression.

"I'm sure you will," Professor Hemlock said.

They both put their Poké Balls away in their bags before returning their Pokémon back into their capsules after a few more minutes of getting to know each other. As Hannah tucked Chikorita's Poké Ball away, she glanced at Ixen who was holding Bagon with a somewhat rueful look. Narrowing her eyes with determination, Hannah turned back to the ginger professor.

"Excuse me, Professor Hemlock?" she inquired in a polite manner that made both Ixen and Vince suspicious in a matter of seconds. "How many Pokédexs do you have?"

Professor Hemlock, who was at that moment looking over her worksheets, looked back at Hannah with a raised eyebrow. "I have the usual eighteen set up for the new trainers as well as a few extra in case of certain circumstances."

Ixen gaped in shock; _she wasn't actually thinking of…_

"I have a favour to ask," Hannah continued. "My friend, Ixen here, she's also coming with us on a journey. The reason she didn't apply like us is because of her Bagon, but it'd mean so much to her - and to us - if she could have a Pokédex too."

Professor Hemlock looked away from Hannah and set her gaze on Ixen. "Would you like a Pokédex?"

Ixen faltered, suddenly being put in the spotlight was not her forte. "U-um…it-it would help me a lot. I want to learn more about Pokémon, and about Bagon too. I've not always been fond of Pokémon, but we live among side them no matter what we do. Because of that, I'd like to help discover more things about them with Hannah and Vince." Bagon began to shift in her arms.

:Ixen is a good human,: Bagon growled at Professor Hemlock despite the woman not being able to understand him. :Ixen is like her friends - she works hard!: Ixen almost cried at Bagon's appeal.

Professor Hemlock watched the little dragon curiously before deciding. She stood and unlocked a cabinet that the trio hadn't seen was there, and saw her pull out a Pokédex along with a box of Poké Balls. She approached Ixen with the two items, and once Ixen put Bagon down, she handed them over to the blacknette. Ixen couldn't believe she was receiving a Pokédex. She couldn't believe she was really going on a journey with her own Pokémon. She couldn't stop herself from smiling brightly when she flipped open her Pokédex. Balancing the box of Poké Balls in her arm; Ixen ran her finger along the bottom screen before holding the Pokédex out to Bagon.

:Is it my turn?: Bagon asked, and Ixen grinned at him as the red device scanned his form. Bagon appeared up on the top screen before his hologram was projected.

"Bagon - the Rock Head Pokémon. Dreaming of one day flying, it practices by leaping off cliffs every day. This particular Bagon knows Bite, Leer and Headbutt." Once the Pokédex's voice ended Bagon's hologram disappeared.

Ixen looked at Vince in surprise. "You were right! About Bagon, I mean."

"Of course I was right," Vince retorted, looking almost offended. "Did you think I said that only to stop you from worrying?"

Ixen said nothing to that. She knew he hadn't said it for that reason, but it finally came as a surprise to her when she realised how knowledgeable Vince really _was_. She and Hannah were lucky he was going to be travelling with them.

Ixen put her Pokédex away before opening the box of Poké Balls. To her surprise, there were six red and white capsules instead of five. She looked back at Professor Hemlock with confusion, not surprised in the slightest to see the ginger grinning at her.

"I assume Bagon hasn't got a Poké Ball, am I right?"

Ixen gave her a grateful smile while Bagon narrowed his eyes. :There's no way I'm getting in that tiny ball. I refuse to do it. Ixen, don't give me that look, I'm _not_ getting in it.:

Bagon continued to refuse to get in the Poké Ball when they left the lab. His stubborn refusal continued when they caught a bus back to Waterwick Town, and even when they had gotten back home. By the time Bagon finally relented, it was night time. Ixen had managed to convince the little dragon that _anyone_ could catch him if he didn't get in the Poké Ball just once, and that truth seemed to do the trick. She watched as Bagon was sucked into the capsule in a flash of light before it began to wobble back and forth until the white button flashed, signalling Bagon was officially her partner.

She hastily let him out. :What was it like?:

:Strange, but comfortable,: Bagon told her before jumping onto her bed.

:Does that mean you'll go in it if need be?:

Bagon settled down into the duvet before glancing at the blacknette. :If need be.:

Ixen laughed and placed his Poké Ball on her desk before pulling back her part of the duvet and settling down. Bagon let out a great yawn, both of them tired after such a long day. In a matter of minutes they were both asleep, dreaming of the adventure that was waiting for them.

* * *

So what did you guys think of Lily and Luke? I have a feeling people might not like Lily due to her first…appearance. Don't worry, she redeems herself later.

There is a back story to how the Trio met. It'll be revealed at the same time Ixen reveals why she's scared of Pokémon. This'll be some time in few chapters, sorry if this bugs you. I've planned a good number of the chapters out, and that's where I could really fit it where it'd make sense. You'll understand when you read it.

Feel free to leave a review, I'd love to read it!

Dolan


	8. The adventure begins

**Chapter Summary:** The day has finally arrived for the trio to set off and explore the Daar region. But to make their send off a blast, they challenge each other to a Pokémon Battle.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** I've had a think about something, and I've decided I'm going to create a new legendary Pokémon - just one. It's going to be a Dragon type of course, but I haven't really decided much more than that. I'm not sure whether it's going to have a second typing, and I'm not sure about its name or appearance or move pool, but it won't appear until very late in the story. It's going to be a bit of a surprise to the characters as this particular Dragon Pokémon will never be mentioned. No one will know about it. If you have any suggestions or ideas feel free leave them in a review, or PM them to me.

Thank you **Shion Rasenka**, **Seren**, **Luna the Zekrom** and **TheFinalElements** for your reviews! And to the people who have faved and alerted this story; thank you so much.

Shion: 'Ello! :D I'm glad to have grabbed your interest! Keeping my readers gripped is what I aim to do. xD When I was younger the whole 'ten-year-old' concept was okay with me, but as I grew up I kept thinking, "Wait a minute, _why_ are they so young and what about their education and exams and qualifications? What are they gonna do when they _stop_ travelling?" 'Cause sooner or later they'll probably settle down. Also, the thought of children wielding the power of a legendary terrifies me.

Seren: Thank you for your feedback. Since reading your review, I've gone back and edited the scene where Hannah and Vince receive their Pokémon. I still have a lot to work on as a writer, and it's readers like you who help make that happen. Thank you for that. ^^ I'm sorry if it got a little confusing about the whole scene jumping. I'll work on that in future chapters.

Luna: I'm glad you like their characters so far (I hope?). ^^' I wanted Chikorita and Torchic to have big personalities in this story, mainly for the fun of seeing how they'd interact with each other as well as Bagon. If they're anything like their trainers, there's gonna be drama. xD In the process of making Lily and Luke, I wanted to do something different. I definitely wanted the Trio to have rivals, but with a twist, and the idea of twins popped into my head. It sounds like you approve. xD

* * *

**Chapter 8: The adventure begins**

"Are you ready, Vince?" Hannah called from one side of the battle field, clenching Chikorita's Poké Ball in her hand tightly. A confident grin was set on her lips.

On the other end, determination glinted in Vince's eyes. "Of course I am, what about you?" Hannah's grin widened.

Ixen stood at the edge, outside of the battlefield with Bagon by her feet. "Let the match begin!" she shouted out with Bagon cheering and growling excitedly next to her.

It was the day they had decided to set off on their journey, and once the celebrations and the farewell parties were over, Hannah decided they needed have a Pokémon battle before they leave. Conveniently, there was a battle arena behind the Pokémon Centre. It was a large, clear, rectangular area with not much grass as it was used fairly often. There were white, faded markings that outlined the official battle area with two smaller rectangular areas on both ends of the arena that trainers were supposed to stand in. Hannah and Vince were both stood in these areas as they pulled their arms back and threw their Poké Balls into the air.

"Go, Chikorita!"

"Go, Torchic!"

In a flash of light, both Pokémon burst out of the red and white capsules before landing in the battle area. Chikorita flipped the leaf on her head back as she wore the same confident smile Hannah was wearing while Torchic ruffled his feathers and scratched the ground with his feet, his eyes narrowed with the same determination Vince was feeling.

"Ladies first," Vince remarked with a smirk.

"With pleasure," Hannah laughed before ordering her Pokémon to attack. "Chikorita, use Razor Leaf!"

"Chika!" the Leaf Pokémon cried before whipping her leaf forward, sending sharp leaves flying in Torchic's direction.

"Torchic, use Ember to counter it!" Vince commanded.

Torchic followed Vince's order without hesitation, opening his beak and spitting out scorching hot embers at the razor sharp leaves. Both attacks collided into each other at full force, and despite the advantage of one, they cancelled each other out with a small blast.

Ixen raised her arms against her face to guard her eyes against the dust cloud before gaping at the force of their attacks when the dust passed. This was the first time she had witnessed a Pokémon battle right in front of her, and she had never imagined it to be this intense. Chikorita and Torchic were relatively young Pokémon. From what Ixen knew, this was their first battle and they already seemed powerful.

This kind of power made Ixen anxious and nervous. She glanced down at Bagon who was watching the battle intently as Chikorita surprised Torchic by rushing up to attack with an impressive Tackle.

Her eyes were drawn back up when Torchic let out a pained cry. She looked up just in time to see the little chick land roughly on his back, somewhat struggling to breathe as the wind was knocked out of him. There were scratches and bruises all over his body, revealing how intense the battle was getting. Chikorita jumped back with a determined expression on her face as she flipped her leaf back, preparing for the finishing blow.

"Torchic, are you okay?" Vince asked with concern written on his face.

"T-tor…" the Fire type whimpered as he struggled to recover and stand on his feet. He glanced back at Vince before nodding with narrowed eyes.

Vince blinked in surprise before grinning and nodding back. "Got it. We're not giving up yet. Focus Energy!"

Torchic let out a loud chirp before his feathers flared up and stood on end as he concentrated and focused on his energy. Chikorita faltered for a moment, slightly unsure how to react in the current situation.

Hannah gritted her teeth in contemplation before narrowing her eyes in determination. She wasn't completely sure how Focus Energy affected Torchic, but she wasn't going to let it work out. She had to break Torchic's concentration and focus, but how? If Chikorita rashly attacked, it could end in disaster. The only none-offensive move Chikorita had was…

Hannah's eyes widened in realisation. _That's it!_ "Chikorita, use Growl!"

"Chi-chi," Chikorita cried before a deep, low growl rumbled out from the back of her throat. Both Hannah and Vince were surprised that the Leaf Pokémon could reach such a deep octave.

The glare and the growls Torchic was receiving was enough to intimidate the Chick Pokémon and make him lose his focus. He took a step back and Vince immediately knew they were in trouble. Especially when Hannah was wearing such a cocky grin.

"Let's finish this, Chikorita," the blonde announced. "Use Tackle!"

Chikorita followed her command and began rushing at Torchic. In a moment of rash decisions, Vince shouted, "Torchic, use Ember!"

Torchic opened his beak one last time and spat out embers in a last ditch attempt. Chikorita dodged the flames with ease, sidestepping them before slamming her body into Torchic, abruptly cutting off his attack. The Fire type flew past Vince and landed roughly behind him. Everyone waited tensely as Torchic breathed and struggled to get to his feet, shakily and painfully moving to carry on with the battle.

Just as Torchic managed to get to his feet, Vince gently picked him up much to everyone's surprise.

"Vince?" Hannah asked with a worried expression.

The brunette simply smiled and shook his head. "It's fine. We lost."

"W-what? But Torchic got back up."

"True, but it took all of Torchic's remaining energy to do _just_ that." Vince pointed out before smiling down at the fatigued chick. "You did a great job out there, Torchic." The Fire type chirped back tired, but happily. Vince pulled out a Poké Ball before holding to Torchic, returning him in a flash of red light. "Rest well."

Vince looked at Ixen expectedly and it took a moment for Ixen to realise why. "O-oh! Torchic is-_was_ unable to battle. Chikorita wins; victory goes to Hannah!"

"Woo! Good job, Chikorita!" Hannah cheered, catching the Grass type in her arms before twirling around in celebration. "We won our first match together!"

"Chika! Chika!" Chikorita yipped back joyfully.

Even thought the battle had ended, the anxiety Ixen was feeling didn't relent. If anything it grew. She glanced back down at Bagon again who seemed fired up by the whole battle experience, and Ixen knew he wanted to have a battle of his own. How powerful would Bagon be? How powerful would he become? Could Ixen really handle and control that kind of power? Was Ixen ready for that kind of responsibility?

It wasn't like Ixen didn't know she had responsibilities on this journey. She knew she had to be careful and watch out for Bagon as well as her friends, but witnessing that battle was just a taste of how dangerous it could get. Vince was right. Being a Pokémon trainer wasn't all fun and games, and the gravity of that was _finally_ sinking in. So much so, Ixen could feel the light flutter of panic rising in her stomach.

"Ixen!" Hannah's loud voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Do you wanna battle?"

Ixen's eyes widened as her heart began pounding and the panic increased. "U-um, I-I don't think… Maybe later…"

"Ba-ba-Bagon!" She looked down at Bagon, whose eyes were narrowed in determination. :I want to do this!:

"It's okay, Ixen," Vince assured her gently. "If you're worried about Chikorita, her attacks won't be aimed at you."

To try and assure Ixen about this, Chikorita jumped directly in front of her with a large, friendly grin. That still didn't stop the blacknette from letting out a squeak of surprise before taking a few steps away from the Grass type. Bagon immediately stood between them, glaring a Chikorita with a look that obviously said "back off".

"I promise the battle won't be as intense as the one with Vince," Hannah said as a last ditch attempt to convince Ixen.

Ixen looked at Bagon again, trying to ask him with her eyes if it was okay. If Ixen stopped to think about it, this was the first time she was reaching out to Bagon for reassurance.

:We'll win this together.:

That was all she needed. "Okay… Okay, let's do this." Ixen said decisively before she could falter again.

"Wait, before you start," Vince interrupted before rummaging around in his green rucksack. Ixen, Hannah, Bagon and Chikorita waited patiently as Vince let out an "ah-ha!" before turning around to hold out a blue berry to Chikorita. "Here you go. Eat up."

"Is that an Oran Berry?" Ixen asked as Chikorita ate it up in one bite.

"Yep."

"Where did you get that?" Hannah asked.

"My mum grows them," Vince explained before standing in the spot where Ixen stood when she was acting as referee. "You two ready?"

Ixen's nerves gave a jolt. Hannah nodded excitedly as she and Chikorita moved back into their positions before the battle properly started. Bagon looked up at Ixen with encouragement before leading them both onto the opposite side of the battle field. It felt like Ixen's legs were made of lead as she nervously walked over and stood in the trainer area. Bagon stood in front of her, facing Chikorita with riled energy.

The seconds that Ixen had to wait before Vince shouted those four words were almost agony. She was seriously beginning to doubt herself and the battle hadn't even started! What if they lost and it was her fault? What if-?

Ixen couldn't dwell on anymore 'what if's' because, "Let the match begin!"

"Chikorita, use Razor Leaf!" Hannah shouted right off the bat.

Ixen immediately began to panic. Her mouth felt dry, and her hands were shaking. Chikorita flipped her leaf forward, sending razor sharp leaves at Bagon like she had done at Torchic. When Ixen still hadn't shouted a command, Bagon glanced back at her with a 'what's going on?' expression. This was his undoing as Chikorita's attack hit him head on, causing him to let out a grunt of pain as he tried to endure it. Ixen flinched at the sound.

"Come on, Ixen!" Vince hollered.

It was almost as if she didn't hear it. She couldn't think straight. Oh, _why_ had she agreed to this? Bagon growled back at her in the language only they shared, but even that didn't snap her out of her panicked trance. Hannah paused at the situation, unsure if she should continue or wait for Ixen to snap out of it. The only one who didn't falter was Chikorita, who lunged forward without Hannah's permission.

Before Hannah could tell the Leaf Pokémon to stop, Chikorita slammed her body into Bagon with a powerful Tackle just as the Dragon type turned. Bagon cried out and fell back at Ixen's feet, baring his fangs as a new wave of pain took over his side and stung at his back. Ixen's eyes widened when she saw a bruise beginning to form on Bagon's body, and a protective anger began to fill her veins. It was drawing her out of her panic, but it wasn't enough.

"Chikorita, no!" Hannah scolded. "I didn't tell you to attack."

Bagon looked up at Ixen again with a half pleading, half glaring expression. :Ixen… _Mother_, please!: That certainly jolted the black-head. According to Bagon; dragons would only address their parents as such if it was necessary. Bagon had only explained this when Ixen had asked him why he didn't call her 'mum' or 'mama'. When Ixen asked why that was, Bagon said he didn't know why, only that was what his instincts told him.

:This was a bad idea…: Ixen whispered so no one other than Bagon could hear her.

:No, it wasn't,: Bagon said adamantly as he shook his head. :I wanted to do this because I know I can trust you.: Ixen's eyes lit up at Bagon's words. A giddy feeling developed in her stomach, the kind of feeling you'd get when your child does something to make you happy and proud. The kind of feeling that made you want to cry with joyful tears.

"Ixen, do you want to continue?" She looked over at Vince before glancing at Hannah. She looked down at Bagon again whose eyes were glinting, and after a moment determination etched its way onto her face.

"Yes," she said quietly before repeating more loudly, "yes. I want to continue."

Hannah blinked in surprise before nodding with a grin. "Got it."

Before Hannah or Vince could say any more, Ixen called out a command. "Bagon, use Headbutt!" Bagon let out a loud cry before lunging forward with speed and power that neither Ixen or Hannah expected. Chikorita didn't even have a chance to dodge as Bagon tucked his head down and slammed it into her. The force and the momentum of the attack send the poor Grass type flying.

Hannah watched in horror as Chikorita landed roughly on her side, a grazed bruise now forming on the side of her body. "Chikorita, you okay?" The Leaf Pokémon stood with a pained expression, but nodded, her red eyes narrowed. "Alright, we're not giving up yet - Razor Leaf!"

"Dodge it!" Ixen shouted as Chikorita whipped her leaf forward. Bagon lunged forward again, just dodging Chikorita's attacks by an inch. That's when Ixen realised Bagon was now incredibly close to Chikorita, and decided to take advantage of it before Hannah did. "Bite!"

Bagon narrowed his eyes and jumped at Chikorita, clamping his sharp teeth onto her leaf. Chikorita let out a shrill screech as pain struck her head and she began jumping and flailing around, swinging the extra heavy weight of Bagon as she moved. As Ixen, Hannah and Vince watched the scene play out with Bagon practically eating Chikorita's leaf while she leapt around, squealing like an upset Tepig, they tried their best not to laugh.

"Ch-Chikorita, flick him off," Hannah ordered between subtle giggles.

Chikorita immediately anchored her head down before flicking her leaf up as hard as she could. Bagon was taken by surprise by the sudden rough movement and accidentally let go, crying out as he was flung into the air.

"Bagon!" Ixen shrieked, desperately wanting to run and catch him.

"This is where the battle ends, Ixen," Hannah announced with a confident grin. "Chikorita, Razor Leaf up at Bagon!"

"Chika!" the Grass type whipped her leaf up again, sending sharp leaves at Bagon as the little dragon fell down, receiving the full extent of the attack.

Ixen could only stand and watch as Bagon landed with a deafening _thud_. She could only watch as Bagon growled and forced himself to stand, wearing a look of stubborn determination. There were bruises and scratches all over Bagon's body from that last attack, and Ixen started blaming herself for it.

Almost as if sensing her thoughts, Bagon looked back at her with the same glint in his eyes from before. It was obvious Bagon didn't want to give up, but Ixen didn't know whether to allow the little dragon to carry on or withdraw.

"Let's end this. Chikorita, use Tackle!" Ixen looked up just as Chikorita dashed forward towards Bagon.

:Ixen,: said blacknette looked back down at Bagon who was still looking at her. He nodded ever-so-slightly before turning back to an advancing Chikorita. In that split second Ixen felt calm. Her mind suddenly cleared when she remembered Hannah's words a few days before. _As long as we're together we'll be fine._ That didn't just apply to the three of them. That applied to their Pokémon as well; that applied to _her and Bagon_.

"Not yet," Ixen whispered with new found confidence. "Bagon, counter Chikorita with Headbutt!" The Rock Head Pokémon gritted his teeth and tucked his head down before dashing towards the Grass type.

Hannah gaped in shock as the two Pokémon crashed into each other at full force. Both Bagon and Chikorita fell back from the force of their attacks, black and blue bruises covered both of their bodies. Everyone watched anxiously as both Pokémon struggled to stand, shakily forcing themselves to their feet. Chikorita stood up first, panting tiredly as she watched Bagon get to his feet as well. They stared at each other daringly for what must have been ten seconds before they smirked at each other and fell down, both fainting.

Ixen and Hannah stared in astonishment as Vince delivered the verdict. "Bagon and Chikorita are unable to battle. This battle is a draw."

As soon as those words were spoken, Ixen and Hannah dashed forward to their Pokémon. Ixen immediately scooped Bagon into her arms, concern written all over her face. Hannah sat down and settled Chikorita onto her lap, smiling down at the Grass type with a proud look.

"Are you okay?" Ixen asked Bagon softly.

:I'm fine,: Bagon assured her with a fatigued look. :Thank you for letting me battle for you.: Ixen looked taken back at that before a smile broke out on her face.

"You did great out there, Chikorita," Hannah said with a grin. Chikorita simply yawned and snuggled against the blonde's body with a smile.

"We should get them healed up," Vince suggested, and both Ixen and Hannah agreed.

* * *

The trio stepped out of the Pokémon Centre once their Pokémon were healed. As soon as a gentle breeze hit Ixen's face Bagon broke out of his Poké Ball before sniffing his surroundings. His injuries and bruises were now healed thanks to Nurse Joy, and he was as healthy as ever. He seemed slightly different than before, almost like he had matured ever-so-slightly from the battle.

"We're ready to go now, right?" Vince asked as he pulled out his Town Map.

"I think so," Hannah replied, "we have clean clothes, food for ourselves and our Pokémon, enough money to get us to the next two cities, exploration equipment, phones in case we need to call anyone… I say we're all set."

"Alright," Vince opened up the map, and Ixen and Hannah gathered around to peer at it. The Daar region was part of a large continent, located to the south west at the edge. It was a large circular shape with Mt. Dara directly in the centre, and twelve towns and cities were located around the region in clockwise direction. Or counterclockwise direction depending on which way you were heading. A river ran from one side of a large lake, all the way around the inner part of the region before running back into the large body of water it came from. This cut one town, Harrow Town, off from the others; meaning they had to cross a bridge to get to it.

To the west of the Daar region was a small island located just a few miles away. The trio knew that's where the Pokémon League tournament and possibly where the Grand Festival took place.

From what Ixen could see, they were in the woody part of the region. Woods and trees were everywhere, even the cities looked somewhat wilder than the ones to the west and the north.

"Which direction should we go in?" Hannah asked.

"How about to Aust City?" Ixen suggested. "We know the way there, and I'm sure it'll be more fun to walk there instead of riding a bus."

"I agree," Vince said before looking at Hannah, "what do you think?"

The blonde flashed them an excited grin. "I think our destination is set."

With the decision made they set off to Aust City on foot. As the streets began to thin out into fields and trees, Ixen would occasionally glance back at Waterwick Town, at her home as it grew further and further away. Sometimes she'd glance back for too long and end up nearly tripping over Bagon. When the town was finally out of sight, she pulled a longing kind of expression before looking forward without glancing back again.

The trio made sure to stick near the road so they wouldn't get lost. Not many vehicles drove past as they travelled along Route 1, but they saw all kinds of Pokémon in the trees. Ixen forced herself to press on and not jump or cry out whenever a Metapod would suddenly drop down from a tree on a thin web, or whenever a Patrat dashed out of the bushes.

Hannah wanted to try and catch everything she saw. Even if that meant they were chased by a horde of Beedrill that the blonde had inevitably annoyed. When the swarm of Poison Bee Pokémon _finally_ left them alone, Vince turned to Hannah with an irritated expression and Ixen was worried the brunette really was angry.

"Geez, don't you _learn_ from your mistakes?" He was obviously referring to the incident back in Blevik Forest with the Beedrill and the Scolipede.

"Uh…" Hannah grinned cheekily. She was trying to look as apologetic as possible, but she was failing. Badly.

Vince couldn't help but grin back before shaking his head and beginning to chuckle. Relief filled Ixen's veins at once as the three teenagers began to outright laugh at how much trouble they had gotten into already. A sudden impatient growl made them all die down reluctantly when they saw Bagon a few feet ahead glaring back at them.

"We're coming, Bagon," Ixen assured him, and the trio were on their way again.

It was about mid afternoon when Vince announced it was probably best if they took a break. Hannah had been continuously complaining that she was hungry, and Ixen had been growing incredibly edgy after the whole Beedrill incident, flinching and ducking at every movement she saw.

They found a clear spot amongst the trees with a perfect view of the road a few yards away. As soon as Ixen sat down against a tree trunk, Bagon clambered onto her lap and settled down with a look of contentment. A gentle smile spread across Ixen's lips as she tickled the little dragon's nose with her fingers, causing him to nuzzle her hand.

The teen watched somewhat cautiously as Hannah and Vince called out their partners out of the red and white capsules. Chikorita flipped her leaf back - a gesture Ixen assumed was a habit - before glancing at Torchic and flashing him a grin that looked oddly similar to Hannah's. The Chick Pokémon puffed out his feathers before lunging at the Grass type to deliver a harsh peck, but Chikorita easily leapt out of the way. Perking up by the new company, Bagon jumped off of Ixen's lap and wandered over to greet them.

Ixen and Vince watched with amusement as their Pokémon interacted while Hannah rummaged around in her backpack for her lunch. Chikorita grinned at Bagon when he sniffed at her, and nodded back and then turned to Torchic. The Fire type narrowed his eyes before pecking Bagon on the nose, causing the Dragon type to cry out in pain before growling and abruptly head butting Torchic in the face. Ixen and Vince jumped to their feet at once while Chikorita shook her head disapprovingly. Hannah turned around just in time to see Vince struggling to hold a squirming Torchic in his arms while Ixen tried to calm down an agitated Bagon.

After finally stopping Bagon and Torchic from fighting, the six of began to eat lunch. Ixen set out three bowls for Bagon, Chikorita and Torchic before Vince poured an equal amount of delicious looking pellets that smelt oddly like digestive biscuits. They must have tasted nice for the three Pokémon to start scoffing their food down in an undignified manner.

"What are we waiting for?" Hannah asked rhetorically as she pulled out a cheese and ham sandwich. "Let's eat!" Ixen and Vince laughed as the blonde took a huge bite out of her sandwich.

"I guess we did work up an appetite walking all this way," Ixen said before crunching down on her apple. After swallowing the piece she was chewing, she turned to Vince who was currently munching on a pasta and chicken salad. "How much longer until we're at Aust City?"

"Not too much longer," Vince replied after swallowing a piece of chicken, "probably about an hour or two."

"It sucks how we haven't caught any Pokémon yet," Hannah sighed dejectedly, finishing off her sandwich with a frown.

"You had plenty of chances to catch those Metapod we walked past," Ixen commented quietly.

Hannah shook her head. "If I'm going to have a certain Pokémon, I want to evolve to get to it instead of outright catch one."

"Why?" Vince asked.

"It's more fun and exciting that way. I mean, what's better than watching your partner grow and evolve into something more awesome than it already is?"

As the trio continued to talk about catching and evolving Pokémon, something distracted Torchic from his lunch. He heard a rustling to his right and looked up from his food bowl with narrowed eyes. He wasn't in the best of moods after his little spat with Bagon, so he suddenly turned sharply to the nearby bush that started rustling, ruffled his feathers and made his way over to the offending greenery.

Both Bagon and Chikorita looked up from their bowls, watching with curiosity as Torchic approached the rustling bush. The Fire type glanced back at them before giving them a stubborn look and sticking his head directly between the branches, peering inside to come face-to-face with a cute, furry creature. Both Pokémon cried out and fell out of the bush, gaining the attention of the three teenagers.

Vince got up first and made his way over to the commotion. "What's going on? Huh?" He blinked when he saw the grey, chinchilla-looking Pokémon. It had large, doe brown eyes and extremely clean fur with a large fluffy tail. Vince pulled out his Pokédex and held it out to the Normal type. He quickly slid his finger along the bottom screen and watched as the red device scanned the cute critter before showing a 3D hologram of it.

"Minccino - the Chinchilla Pokémon. These Pokémon prefer a tidy habitat. They are always sweeping and dusting, using their tails as brooms."

"Min? Mincci?" the Normal type squeaked, tilting its head to the side. It glanced at Torchic with a cute expression before smiling brightly, causing Torchic's feathers to stand on end as the Fire type blushed.

Judging by Chikorita's annoyed expression, it was safe to say this Minccino was female.

"You saw it first, why don't you try and catch it?" Hannah suggested excitedly.

Vince grinned. "Don't mind if I do. Torchic, you ready?"

Torchic looked at Vince with a confident look, obviously determined to make an impression on his new crush. Sensing a battle beginning to stir, Minccino's ears twitched before she jumped back and landing on all four paws with a battle-ready grin.

"Torchic, use Focus Energy!" Torchic followed the command, and like his battle with Chikorita, his feathers flared up as he concentrated his energy.

Minccino grinned and dashed forward, much to everyone's surprise, before curling around and using her tail to tickle Torchic repeatedly. The Fire type let out light chirps of laughter as his focus was disrupted by the onslaught of tickles. With glinting eyes, Minccino swung her tail round and delivered a powerful Pound attack, sending Torchic flying into a nearby tree.

Ixen took a subconscious step back, but that didn't stop her from being amazed by Minccino's strategic power. Even Bagon had a slight look of awe on his face.

"Torchic, are you okay?" Vince asked with concern.

"Tor-Torchic," the little chick replied, scratching his clawed feet against the dirt before dashing forward. Everyone watched in surprise as Torchic's beak shined and started to change into a longer shape, landing the Peck attack directly on Minccino. The Chinchilla Pokémon fell back against a tree, slumping down as she shuddered in pain. Vince couldn't stop to be proud of the fact that Torchic had learnt a new move because he still needed to catch the Minccino.

"Torchic, let's finish this with Ember!"

Torchic opened his beak, and with a great inhale of air, spat out hot embers in Minccino's direction. The cute rodent's eyes opened and widened in shock before the embers landed, hitting her directly. When the flames subsided, Minccino was lying fainted in the grass with the fur on her tail singed slightly.

Vince quickly pulled out a miniaturised Poké Ball, pressing the button to expand it in size before swinging his arm back and throwing it at the injured Pokémon. Everyone watched eagerly as the red and white capsule hit Minccino's body (gently) and opened, and sucked her in with a flash of light. Vince's heart was pounding with anticipation as the capsule rolled back and forth, the white button in the middle flashing red. What must have been a few seconds felt like hours when the button finally gleamed bright, indicating that Minccino was now Vince's new partner.

"Y-you did it," Hannah murmured before jumping in the air joyfully. "You did it, Vince!"

A large smile spread across Vince's face as he bent down to pick up the Poké Ball now holding a new friend. He had just caught his first Pokémon, and he honestly felt like crying.

"That was awesome, Vince," Ixen said with a grin. "She's a new addition to our family."

"You're right," he replied before letting Minccino back out in a flash of light, catching Ixen off guard. She quickly stepped back as the little chinchilla blinked and looked around in a slight daze. Vince knelt down to her and smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Minccino."

Minccino blinked again before smiling cutely. "Ccino!"

Vince stood back up and turned to Bagon, Chikorita and Torchic. "Everyone, I'd like you to welcome Minccino to the family!"

The Normal type looked over at the three Pokémon before approaching them with a friendly smile. Torchic was gazing at the cute chinchilla too intensely to notice Bagon approaching her first. His head was tilted, sizing Minccino up like he had with Chikorita and Torchic. With a curious expression, Minccino leaned forward until their noses accidentally touched. She quickly fell back with an embarrassed expression, and both Chikorita and Torchic grew annoyed for different reasons.

While Chikorita drew up close to Minccino with narrowed eyes, Torchic drew up close to Bagon with a deadly glare. Bagon simply head butted Torchic in the face again while Minccino was too busy being intrigued by Chikorita's leaf to feel intimidated.

Ixen watched with a hopeless but an amused expression as their Pokémon interacted with each other. This was certainly going to be one hell of an adventure.

* * *

Man, these chapters are getting long. But we all like long chapters! Right…?

I have a good number of chapters planned out, but when I start writing them I have a moment when I spontaneously write something that I hadn't planned and I think, "Yeah, that actually looks good." This is basically what happened with the whole 'dragon addressing parents' thing.

Feel free to leave a review! c:

Dolan


	9. Forest herpes

**Chapter Summary:** After exploring every interesting inch of Aust City, the trio move on to explore Redwood Forest. But exploring it doesn't come without its difficulties.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** Do I regret the chapter title? Nah. The title of this chapter was originally going to be 'Cave herpes', but then I realised no caves were involved. If you get the reference when you see the Pokémon, you're awesome. If you don't, you're still awesome for reading. (P.s. I apologise if anyone is offended by the title. ;_;)

Thank you **Ramaxy18-chan**, **Shadow Serenity 53**, **TheFinalElements**, **Luna the Zekrom**, **awesome** (awesome name xD), **Shion Rasenka **and **DeityOfDeadlyRose **for your reviews! And to the people who have faved and alerted this story; thank you so much. You guys are awesome.

Ramaxy: I'm glad I'm not the only writer who does that. xD Aaaahh, I'm definitely developing a soft spot for Bagon. I know I shouldn't have favourite characters, but the more I write about the Pokémon, the more I fall in love with them. You'll be seeing who could possibly be Ixen's next partner very soon. ;)

Seren: You deserve an extra 'thank you'. You've been a really big help with the criticism and the corrections that I need. I appreciate the time you take to find the mistakes that I previously hadn't seen or realised were there. ^^

Luna: I'm glad you liked the battle scenes. I hope they were action packed enough. xD I've gone and made those corrections you pointed out, I appreciate them greatly. :D

* * *

**Chapter 9: Forest herpes**

Ixen, Hannah and Vince had been in Aust City for a few days now. They took their time exploring the city and visiting the shops they didn't get to see on their first visit, but made sure they were careful with their money. As tempting as it was to buy every interesting and amazing thing they saw, they would be in trouble if they ran out of money only a few days into their journey.

Despite being careful, that didn't stop the teenagers from having fun. Visiting the different kinds of shops left them in high spirits, even if they couldn't buy something that would have left them broke. They visited many Pokémon supply shops that sold different kinds of Poké Balls and medicines. They visited gift shops, hobby shops, clothes stores; you name it, they visited it.

Well.

They _almost _visited every shop. There were some shops they didn't visit for…obvious reasons.

Much to Hannah's disappointment, there wasn't a Pokémon Gym for her to challenge so she made up by challenging the odd trainer who was willing to battle instead. Vince also participated in the occasional battle, but often left Hannah to it. Ixen on the other hand still wasn't confident enough to battle other trainers. The battle she had with Hannah had left her apologising to Bagon for hours about him getting hurt, and no matter how much Bagon had assured her it was fine, Ixen insisted it wasn't. Eventually the teen gave in.

It was their final night in Aust City, and Ixen and Hannah were sitting in the bedroom they had been temporarily using during their visit. Pokémon Centres were not only hospitals for Pokémon, but also a kind of hotel for trainers to stop and rest if needed. Vince had retired back to his room about half an hour before, leaving Ixen and Hannah in their current situation.

Ixen and Bagon were sitting at the desk on one side of the room while Hannah and Chikorita were on the other side, sitting on the bottom bed of their bunk bed. The bedroom wasn't exactly big, so Ixen was a lot closer to Chikorita than she would have liked. She kept glancing back at Chikorita in case the Grass type suddenly decided to get any closer, only to receive confused looks.

"Come on, Ixen," Hannah insisted, "I'm not asking you to hold her or anything."

Ixen frowned at the blonde teen before looking at Bagon who simply yawned and snuggled further into her lap. She was on her own for this one.

A few minutes after Vince had left, Hannah noticed how uncomfortable Ixen was sitting in such close proximity to Chikorita. She had thought about returning Chikorita to her Poké Ball to make the blacknette feel at ease, but an even better idea came to mind; getting Ixen to make friends with the Grass type.

"You said it yourself, didn't you? You said you want to get along with Pokémon and not be afraid of them anymore."

Ixen sighed and picked at a piece of loose fabric from her blue pyjama bottoms, ignoring a strand of black, wavy hair that fell against her cheek. She felt conflicted. She _did_ want to cure her fear of Pokémon, but at the same time it was that very fear that made her not want to even try.

She glanced over at Chikorita again who gave her a curious, almost innocent look. Ixen flinched slightly when Hannah spoke up without warning. "Just think about how you feel with Bagon and focus on those emotions when interacting with Chikorita."

Ixen immediately opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. She wanted to tell Hannah that it was different with Bagon, that she could understand what he said and what he meant, only to remember that she hadn't told her nor Vince about her ability and possibly her heritage. The realisation sent a wave of guilt coursing through Ixen. So much so she wanted to tell Hannah right then and there, but couldn't find the words. Instead she nodded hesitantly.

"Okay," Ixen whispered, "it's time to put my words into action."

Hannah grinned and nodded before looking at Chikorita. The Grass type yipped in return and calmly jumped off the bed before gradually making her way over to Ixen, keeping eye contact in case something in the frightened teen's demeanour changed and became more fearful. Ixen was trying her best not to tremble as she watched Chikorita grow closer and closer with deliberate, carefully timed steps. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end, and her entire being screamed at her to leg it out of the room. She tried to ignore these feelings and tell herself it was fine.

_It _is_ fine,_ she thought somewhat frantically. _Chikorita won't hurt me. It's nothing like that time. This Pokémon won't hurt me._

When Chikorita finally stopped she was only a few centimetres away from Ixen, waiting patiently for the teen to reach out. Ixen's heart was pounding against her ribcage madly, and it was a few minutes before she finally plucked up the courage to reach out. Her hand was shaking badly as she slowly reached out; her throat constricted, and she thought she was going to throw up. At the last second she clamped her eyes shut before feeling her skin make contact with Chikorita's. She waited with a wavered breath in case the Grass type exploded or attacked her, but nothing happened.

Ixen hesitantly opened her eyes to see her hand resting on Chikorita's head beneath her large leaf. The Grass type was grinning up at her encouragingly, causing Ixen to blink with a stunned expression as the fear began to melt away into disbelief. Slowly, she began moving her hand, petting Chikorita gently, earning a cute mewling noise from the Leaf Pokémon who was enjoying the attention. A small smile tugged at Ixen's lips as the fear she felt only minutes ago began to fully dissipate.

She was so engrossed with petting Chikorita that she didn't even notice Bagon climb onto the desk from her lap, letting Ixen deal with the Grass type on her own. Ixen finally noticed this when Chikorita yipped gleefully before jumping up and settling down on her lap, causing the teen to flinch as a small wave of fear briefly struck her nerves. She looked back at Bagon who gave her a look that said, "you're doing fine without me". Ixen frowned at him before smiling gratefully.

Chikorita nudged her hand before lying down on her lap and settling further, drawing Ixen's attention back to her. Ixen's smile broadened slightly as she began petting Chikorita again, happy and relieved she managed to face her fear for a change.

"Better?" Hannah asked with a cheeky grin.

Ixen raised an eyebrow at the blonde, but nodded nonetheless. "Yes, now I just have to try and face Torchic and Minccino." She shuddered at the thought of trying to befriend the little chick who was notorious for pecking anyone and anything.

"Yeah," Hannah laughed nervously, "Torchic is gonna be a challenge. Minccino shouldn't be too bad. She's a little cutie pie." Chikorita sent a very dark look Hannah's way at those words, causing Ixen's hand to halt from her ministrations. "Oh! Don't worry, Chikorita. You're definitely cuter."

Chikorita gave her a look that said, "obviously" before relaxing again, and Ixen gently tickling her neck.

Ixen was feeling a little better about curing her phobia, but there was something else that was worrying her. Something that must have been enough to show on Ixen's face, because Hannah noticed her glum expression.

"What's wrong?" Hannah asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"I'm just worried," Ixen mumbled honestly.

"What about?"

"Just silly things about our journey."

"Uh huh, because they _must_ be silly for you to look like you've just received shit news."

Ixen rolled her eyes at Hannah's language but continued. "What if we get into serious trouble during this journey? What if we run out of money? What if we get stuck or stranded somewhere? What if one of our Pokémon gets badly injured and we're nowhere near a Pokémon Centre? So many things could go wrong."

Hannah listened patiently as Ixen listed off her concerns and worries in a long, rushed ramble. She spoke up when Ixen finally finished. "You're right - things can go wrong during this journey. And things probably will, but we have each other. We have each other to support and to reassure that things will be fine as long as we're together." Ixen looked over at Hannah's grinning expression. "Besides, it wouldn't be an adventure if things didn't go wrong every now and then."

"I guess you're right," Ixen said after laughing lightly, but still held her sombre expression. "Even so, that still doesn't stop me from worrying."

Hannah nodded understandingly. "Wanna know something?" Three pairs of eyes looked over at the blonde curiously. "There was a different reason why I wanted us all to have a battle. I kind of wanted to put off starting our journey for as long as possible. I woke up that morning, and I wasn't just stupidly excited. I was also ridiculously nervous. So much so I was tempted to pretend to be ill." Ixen had to hold back the urge to snort and stifled her laughter. Even in a moment of inner turmoil, Hannah still had the audacity to act childish. "I know I had told you and Vince so many times before it'll be fine because we'd be together, but leaving home…travelling around the world… It finally hit me how terrifying it was."

"Are you still scared?" Ixen asked softly.

"A little," Hannah admitted. "I think Vince might be as well."

Ixen winced at the thought of Vince worrying all by himself. "We should go and check on him."

"Yeah, and then let's get you to befriend Torchic and Minccino," Hannah said with a grin before beckoning Chikorita back to her.

"Tonight? Are you serious?" Ixen demanded in a whiny kind of way as Chikorita jumped off of her lap and bounded back to the blonde. Bagon immediately reclaimed Ixen's lap.

Hannah simply laughed and stood up before skipping over to their door, her blonde hair loose and flowing behind her. Chikorita not too far behind. "C'mon, Slowpoke!"

"W-wait for me!" Ixen scooped Bagon into her arms and followed Hannah out of the bedroom.

They abruptly barged into Vince's room - much to Vince's surprise - before settling down. The rest of the night was filled with a mixture of the trio talking about their worries, helping Ixen with her phobia and failing badly when the blacknette tried to get away from both Torchic and Minccino as much as possible, and messing about with loud laughter until they were told to shut up and go to sleep.

They all certainly felt better when they went to sleep that night.

* * *

The next morning, the trio woke up early to get ready to continue their journey. They all freshened up via the Pokémon Centre's bathroom before changing into a set of clean clothes suitable for travelling. As Ixen finished packing her bag back up, Hannah was tying her hair back up in her usual pigtails just as Vince knocked on their door. Once they were ready, the three teenagers and their Pokémon made their way to the canteen for breakfast before heading off, thanking Nurse Joy as they left.

"From the looks of the map, we'll have to go through the Redwood Forest to get to Hythe City," Vince told them as they walked to the south gate. "We might need to camp there."

"Really?" Hannah exclaimed with a look of childish excitement. "I can't wait! It'll be like the school camping trip all over again!"

A cold rush of apprehension washed over both Ixen and Vince at the memory of that trip. Ixen turned to her friend with a nervous smile. "R-right, but we won't go wandering off at the dead of night, will we?"

Hannah laughed before patting Ixen's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, I've learnt my lesson."

"That's a first," Vince remarked and grinned slyly as he dodged a sharp jab from the blonde.

"Let's just get to Redwood Forest already." Hannah strode ahead with purpose and excitement. Ixen glanced at Vince before smiling brightly and running after Hannah, leaving the brunette to call and run after them.

Soon they passed through Aust City's south gate. As they walked away from the structures of civilisation, Ixen noticed that route 2 was definitely more dense with trees than route 1 was. Since her accomplishment with Chikorita last night she felt a little bit more confident about the journey, but that didn't mean she wasn't wary. Every now and then, her eyes would flick up to glance in between the leaves and the branches in case there was a Pokémon lurking in the foliage.

They ran into the occasional Pokémon, but it would bolt and run into the bushes before any of them (specifically Hannah) had the chance to catch it. Continuously failing to catch a Pokémon had dampened Hannah's mood.

"How am I meant to be a good Pokémon trainer if I can't catch any Pokémon?" Before Ixen or Vince could attempt to define what a 'good Pokémon trainer' was, Hannah let out an excited gasp. "Guys look! I think I see the Redwood Forest!"

Ixen quickly picked Bagon up before running after Hannah and Vince, almost running into them when they abruptly stop a few moments later. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words never came and Ixen was left gaping. Who wouldn't gape at the sight of Redwood Forest? It wasn't as big as the Blevik Forest, but its stunning appearance made up for it. Bright sunlight washed over the trees, causing them appear to be lush green all over. A gentle breeze blew through the canopies of the forest and the leaves flowed like waves of an emerald sea.

The trio looked at each other with giddy, excited expressions before dashing across the field that separated them from the forest. For the first time since Ixen had set off on their journey, she felt carefree without any worries about when she'd encounter a Pokémon next. Running through the field, through the long grass with the wind on her face left her feeling exhilarated. The feeling must have been mutual with her friends because Hannah jumped as high as she could in the air, cheering, while Vince couldn't wipe off the grin that pulled at his lips.

By the time they entered the forest they were out of breath and coughing up their lungs, but that didn't stop them from laughing like a bunch of maniacs.

Bagon jumped out of Ixen's arms and shook his head disapprovingly. :Why are humans so strange?:

"Man," Vince gasped as he leaned against a tree trunk, "if anyone saw us just then…they'd think we're crazy."

Hannah laughed breathlessly at that. "Who says we aren't?"

"I have to agree with Hannah," Ixen said between wheezes, "we _are_ crazy for doing that."

Once they had gotten their breaths back, they began exploring the forest. The trees were fairly bigger than the ones along route 2, and mainly consisted of oak and pine species. The forest was teeming with life; everywhere you looked you saw some kind of Pokémon before it dashed off into the brush. Ixen squeaked in surprise when a startled herd of Deerling leapt out in front of them before running off deeper into the forest.

It had been a couple of hours before they finally decided to have a break. Vince spotted a large, old oak tree and suggested they rested there. The grass around the oak tree was soft and moss-like, and apparently comfortable as Hannah flopped down with a satisfied sigh. A few moments later, Hannah unclipped Chikorita's Poké Ball from her belt before letting the Grass type out. Vince too unclipped his Pokémon's capsules, letting Torchic and Minccino out in a flash of light.

Ixen sat down with Hannah and watched from afar as Vince made lunch for their Pokémon. Neither girl could hold back their laugh when Bagon and Torchic got in a silly fight over food, or when Minccino curiously grabbed hold of Chikorita's leaf before being flung around, unable to let go. Ixen was just about to reach over to her bag for lunch when Hannah abruptly stood up.

"What is it?" Ixen asked when she saw the blonde staring into the forest.

"I saw something," Hannah said adamantly before shouldering her backpack. "Chikorita, let's go!" The little plant Pokémon whipped Minccino off of her leaf - causing the chinchilla to fly and land in Ixen's lap - and joined Hannah as they dashed off into the brush with looks of excitement and determination.

"H-Hannah, wait!" Vince shouted.

"We'll be back soon!"

Vince shook his head and sighed exasperatedly before turning around to see a very pale, frozen Ixen staring at Minccino in fear. Her hands were risen to avoid touching the cute rodent, but it wasn't helping when Minccino blinked and sniffed at her curiously. Wide, turquoise eyes looked up at Vince in a desperate plea for help.

"She isn't going to hurt you," Vince assured her before picking up Torchic who was about to approach them. "This one, however, I'm not so sure." The brunette grinned at Torchic's protests, and cradled the offended chick. "I'm kidding!"

Ixen looked over at Bagon who came over to offer support. :Your friend is right. She's just curious about you.:

_Says you,_ Ixen thought before nervously looking down at Minccino. Her breath hitched when the Normal type stood on her hind legs and pressed her front paws against Ixen's chest to get a closer look of the blacknette's face. Ixen tried her best not to tremble, thankfully she didn't have to try hard when Minccino accidentally bumped her nose against Ixen's. Minccino gave an embarrassed squeak before falling back against the teen's lap, sending her an apologetic expression.

Ixen blinked before laughter began to erupt from her throat. She couldn't help it; Minccino just looked _so_ embarrassed and adorable. Minccino smiled and sat up, swaying her large fluffy tail with glee at making Ixen laugh. When Ixen's laughter died down, she hesitantly reached out and scratched behind Minccino's ear, causing the Normal type to let out something close to a purr.

Vince and Torchic watched on as Ixen befriended Minccino, but before Torchic could attempt to follow suit a nearby bush began to rustle, gaining the attention of all five of them. Minccino jumped off of Ixen's lap and ran over to Vince as Torchic jumped out of the brunette's arms. Ixen stood up, making sure to stay exactly where she was with Bagon not far away.

They all waited tensely for whatever was in the bushes to show itself. Eventually a dozy-looking Shinx stumbled out from the branches of the bush, letting out a large yawn and showing off two rows of sharp, little teeth. The top half of its body was light blue while the bottom half was black. It had a long, black tail with a yellow star shape a the end, large, almost bear-like years with yellow markings and bright yellow eyes.

Both Ixen and Vince pulled out their Pokédexs and swiped their finger along the bottom screen before scanning the Pokémon. They waited as a 3d image appeared before listening to the information.

"Shinx - the Flash Pokémon. The extension and contraction of its muscles generate electricity. It glows when in trouble."

Vince closed his Pokédex before turning to Ixen. "Do you want a go at catching it?"

"Uh," Ixen glanced at the Shinx, losing her nerve before she even found it, "n-no, no I'm good. You have a go." She missed the look of disappointment on Bagon's face.

"You sure?" Vince asked with furrowed eyebrows. Ixen nodded before giving him an encouraging smile. "_Only_ if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Vince frowned but nodded, knowing there wasn't really anything else he could do. He looked down at his two partners. "Torchic, how about we let Minccino have a go?"

Torchic looked torn on this. He wanted to impress Minccino, but at the same time he didn't want to ruin the excited expression on the Chinchilla Pokémon's face. He eventually nodded and stood back.

"Minccino, use Pound!"

The cute rodent lunged forward at Shinx, curling around to pound the feline with her powerful tail. The drowsiness that enveloped Shinx suddenly disappeared as the Electric type jumped out of the way, dodging Minccino's attack with ease and leaving both Ixen and Vince gaping in surprise.

Shinx narrowed its eyes in a way that left even Bagon feeling nervous before bright, yellow sparks began to crack over its fur. Minccino began to take some uneasy steps back, looking at Vince with a worried expression. Shinx took a step closer as it built up electricity even more when it suddenly cut out. Everyone watched closely as the Flash Pokémon yawned and the dozy expression it had before reappeared. It found a comfortable patch of grass before lying down and falling asleep, leaving every speechless.

"Um, hello?" Vince called to it, but got no reaction.

"Vince, now is your chance," Ixen said urgently.

"What?"

"Catch it!"

Vince's mouth opened in a comical 'O' shape before nodding. "R-right, I need to catch it." He quickly pulled out an empty Poké Ball before throwing it at the Shinx. The feline gave no reaction when the capsule hit it and sucked it in with a flash of light. The Poké Ball didn't even need to roll twice before it clicked, signalling that the Shinx was caught.

Vince picked the Poké Ball up before looking at Ixen with a puzzled expression. "Did that just happen?"

"I think so," Ixen replied, sounding just as puzzled.

The confused silence didn't last long as a loud shout followed by a crash broke it. A Pokémon suddenly hopped out of the bushes, closely followed by Hannah and Chikorita. Realising it was outnumbered as soon as it saw Ixen and Vince, the small rabbit turned around to face a very determined and frustrated looking Hannah with her Pokédex in her hands.

"Stay _still_," Hannah hissed as she scanned the Pokémon's form, watching as a 3d model was made.

"Buneary - the Rabbit Pokémon. When it senses danger, it perks up its ears. On cold nights, it sleeps with its head tucked into its fur."

The Buneary had chocolate brown and light blonde fur. The lower part of its body was extremely fluffy with a tuft of fluff on the ends of each ear. It wore a very stubborn expression, the kind of expression a child would wear when they wouldn't want to eat their vegetables. It obviously didn't like the idea of being caught.

"We're not letting you get away again!" Hannah announced. "Chikorita, use Tackle!"

Chikorita lunged at Buneary at full force, planning on using all of her momentum to her advantage. Buneary narrowed its eyes before darting towards Chikorita with far greater speed, catching both Hannah and Chikorita off guard. Despite Tackle being more powerful, the force and momentum of Buneary's Quick Attack knocked Chikorita back hard. Before Hannah could ask if Chikorita was okay, the Grass type nodded and got back onto her feet.

Hannah grinned before ordering another attack. "Alright, let's end this as fast as possible. Razor Leaf!"

Chikorita whipped her leaf forward, sending sharp leaves in Buneary's direction. The Rabbit Pokémon made an attempt to dodge the attack, but one of the leaves caught its arm. Chikorita's eyes glinted when she saw the chance and lunged forward, tackling Buneary back roughly.

"Chikorita, I didn't tell you to attack." The Leaf Pokémon looked back with an apologetic expression. That was twice Chikorita had acted of her own accord, and it was beginning to worry Hannah.

That worry dissipated into excitement when she noticed Buneary had been dazed by the attack. In a matter of moments she pulled out an empty Poké Ball and threw it, hitting Buneary in the face. Hannah was practically buzzing with excitement as she watched Buneary disappear into the capsule in a flash of light before rolling back and forth. Within a matter of seconds the Poké Ball spotted moving with a _click_, signalling Buneary was caught.

A huge smile broke across Hannah's face as she ran and picked up the Poké Ball, holding high for all to see. She turned to Ixen and Vince with an ecstatic expression.

"I did it! I caught my first Pokémon!"

"Good work, Hannah," Ixen said with a bright smile.

Vince also smiled at her. "Good job, you put up a good fight there. We've been a little busy ourselves, haven't we Ixen?" Hannah's face dropped when Vince released Shinx in a flash of light. "This guy came along - I couldn't pass up the chance to catch him."

Hannah refused to talk to Vince until she caught another Pokémon. They returned their partners to their capsules before heading off into the forest again. Hannah vowed to catch the first Pokémon she came across, and low and behold, that Pokémon was a Venipede.

The little Bug type was calm and quiet, and didn't put up much of a fight when Hannah declared to battle it. It didn't even struggle when she threw a Poké Ball at it, catching it after only a few rolls. When Hannah turned around to her friends, her grin turned into a frown at the ridiculous smirks on their faces as they tried hard not to laugh.

"What?" Hannah demanded.

"I just find it ironic," Vince said as his smirk turned into a grin, "that you catch a Venipede after the whole Scolipede incident."

"You two are never going to let that go, are you?"

"Never," Ixen vowed with a cheeky smile.

Hannah could only sigh with embarrassed defeat.

* * *

The sun was now setting over Redwood Forest. Warm rays of light spilled out from behind Mt. Dara, soaking the trees in crimson red. Even the bark of the trees was tinged red.

_So _that's_ where the forest gets its name from,_ Ixen thought idly as they began setting up camp.

Hannah was setting up her camping stove, opening the regulator knob to the fuel cylinder before igniting the gas with a match, and then adjusting the regulator knob. Vince had set out seven food bowls for their Pokémon, thankful he had thought to buy some more before leaving Aust City, and then carrying a bag of Pokémon food over to Ixen. At that moment, the black haired teen was just unfolding the sleeping bags.

"Hey, Ixen," Vince said, drawing her attention, "could you feed the Pokémon?"

Ixen's eyes widened. "M-me?"

Vince nodded. "Yeah, I'll set up the sleeping bags."

"I don't know, Vince…"

"Come on, you don't have to pet them or anything. Just feed them. They're too hungry and wrapped around getting to know each other to care about anything else right now."

The two of them turned to watch the seven animals. Shinx, Buneary and Venipede had settled into the group well, and were now interacting with the others. With Buneary now in the mix; she, Chikorita and Minccino had formed their own little 'girl gang' within the group. It had been fairly rough between Chikorita and Buneary in the beginning, but Minccino's curious personality had lightened the atmosphere between them. Shinx and Venipede instantly became friends due to their calm and friendly natures. This softer mood helped the atmosphere around Bagon and Torchic, but only if the two were near them.

The seven of them hadn't necessarily split into two groups. They all interacted with each other. It was like watching a group of people form relationships and bonds in a new environment.

Ixen couldn't help but smile before taking the bag of food. "Okay, but you had better make my sleeping bag perfect. You know how picky Bagon can be."

"Deal." Vince flashed a grin before taking Ixen's place of setting up the sleeping bags.

Ixen nodded, held the bag of Pokémon food in her arms securely, and wearily made her way over to their Pokémon. Seeing her first, Bagon growled happily at the sight of her and the bag of food, gaining the attention of the others. They quickly sat in front of their assigned bowls, waiting with patient and impatient, hungry expressions. The movement caused Ixen to halt, waiting for them to find their food bowls before gulping nervously and continuing towards them. As soon as she was close enough, she opened the bag and tilted it down, pouring the nuggets into their bowls in equal amounts. As she went from one to the other, she received a growl, yip, chirp or purr of gratitude. It was oddly reassuring.

When she was finished, Ixen stepped back watching with amusement as they all tucked into their dinner in a noisy manner. Ixen's amusement changed to worry and to almost a sense of heartache when she realised she only had Bagon while Hannah and Vince now had three Pokémon each. What if she never-?

"Who wants sausages?" Ixen's thoughts were cut off by Hannah's abrupt question. She shook her head and smiled at Bagon who was looking up at her with curiosity before walking over to her friends.

Soon enough, Hannah was serving up three plates of baked beans and sausages, and then handed one to Ixen and Vince. When Ixen took her first bite, she was surprised at how well Hannah had cooked them. She knew the blonde was a good cook, but to make a simple meal like baked beans and sausages tasyr like _this_ was amazing. As they ate, their meal was full of banter and laughter. When they were almost finished, their Pokémon came over for attention, much to Ixen's concern.

It wasn't as bad as she thought. Thanks to Bagon and Chikorita, they gave Ixen her space and left her be until she was ready. She finally decided it was time to try and befriend Torchic. Taking a deep breath and steeling her courage, she forced herself to call Torchic's name, flinching slightly when the Fire type sharply turned around before making his way over to her.

Ixen began regretting her decision immediately at how fast Torchic was advancing. Even with Hannah and Vince watching closely in case something went wrong, even with Bagon slightly baring his teeth at Torchic protectively; Ixen's nerves began to go haywire. Her breath almost stopped when Torchic abruptly jumped onto her lap, looking up at her with unblinking eyes. Ixen froze, staring down at those dark blue eyes. She had never been close enough to actually see if his eyes were black or blue.

Her own eyes widened when Torchic leaned up. At that moment, everyone knew the Chick Pokémon was going to peck Ixen. In a flash of movement, Hannah and Vince got to their feet while Bagon prepared to lunge for Torchic. The other Pokémon hung back, waiting to see what would happen.

No one knew how to react when Torchic pecked Ixen's nose lightly. Ixen blinked in surprise when Torchic jumped back onto her knees with a rare, gentle expression before huffing and leaping off of her legs. He returned back to Vince with a chirp, glancing back at Ixen with a look of understanding.

Ixen was still extremely confused.

"I think you just made a new friend," Hannah murmured as Vince picked the little Fire type up. Ixen could only nod in dazed agreement.

By the time they were finished the sun had finally set. The campfire was the only source of light, illuminating their campsite and leaving the rest of the forest in darkness. In unnerved Ixen somewhat as they settled into their sleeping bags. As everyone drifted off, Ixen remained awake, staring up at the night sky while she listened to the campfire crackle. She watched the stars for a while before a quiet voice made her jump.

:Ixen?: Bagon murmured sleepily. :Are you still awake?:

Ixen turned over to look at the little dragon. :Yeah, did I wake you?:

:No.: Bagon yawned widely and settled closer to her before seeing the teen's expression. :Is something wrong?:

Ixen almost winced. It was almost scary how well Bagon could read her. :I…guess so.:

:What is it?:

Ixen sat up, placing Bagon in her lap. She stared into the dying fire for a few minutes as she gathered her thoughts, and Bagon waited patiently. :I'm… I'm starting to think this was a bad idea.:

:What was?: Bagon questioned.

:Going on this journey.:

:Why?:

:I'm a Pokémon trainer who's afraid of _Pokémon_,: Ixen pointed out, hating how her voice shook. :I'm afraid to catch them, I'm afraid to interact with them. I even need Hannah or Vince to prompt me into doing something that involves them. What kind of Pokémon trainer does that make me?:

Bagon frowned. It was obvious he didn't really understand what made a 'good Pokémon trainer', but he knew this was bothering Ixen greatly. He wanted to change that. :You once told me everyone has fears, and it takes a lot of courage to face them. You did just that with Chikorita, Torchic and Minccino. I don't know what a "good Pokémon trainer" is, but I believe you are a great human.:

Ixen stared at Bagon in shock. Tears pooled in her eyes before she wrapping her arms around the dragon's little body and held him in a warm hug. Bagon nestled against the teen's neck to return the hug, and let Ixen hold him for as long as she needed. Bagon always had the ability to be able to say the right words to her in a matter of minutes.

An echoed screech from the forest made Ixen flinch and turned her head in the direction of where it came from. She and Bagon remained motionless as they strained to hear it again, but only heard the crackling of the fire and the chirps of the crickets.

:Y-you heard that too, didn't you?: Ixen whispered in fright.

Bagon nodded his head. :Yes.:

They both flinched when they heard it again. It almost sounded as if…

:Something is in pain,: Bagon growled quietly. :We must go.:

:What? What do you mean?:

:We must check if it's injured!:

Ixen held Bagon's urgent gaze for a few fleeting moments before nodding. :O-okay.:

She opened her bag and pulled out her flashlight before standing from her sleeping bag with Bagon stood at her side. She shivered slightly at the difference in temperature, silently cursing at the fact she couldn't change from her pyjamas. She glanced back at the others before inquiring.

:Should we wake them?:

:No time.: Bagon replied before dashing off into the forest. :Let's go!:

:W-wait…!: Ixen hissed and turned her flashlight on before running after Bagon.

Ixen's nerves kicked into overdrive when the safety of the light from the campfire melted away as she ran into the darkness. She could only where she flashed her torched and the outlines of trees and bushes in the dark. Her heart was pounding just like before in Blevik Forest when she became separated from Hannah and Vince. Where was Bagon?

:Bagon?: she called out that airy dragon language.

:I'm here.: Ixen flashed her light in the direction of Bagon's voice, causing the little dragon to wince at the light when it flashed on him. :That is bright.:

:S-sorry,: Ixen stuttered as she aimed the light away from his eyes and made her way over to him.

:It's fine. I heard the noise again this way.:

Bagon lead Ixen through the brush. The sound of the screeching became louder and more frequent along with other new sounds. Ixen frowned when she realised it was the vicious flapping of wings and the squawks of birds. It was seriously freaking her out. What the hell was going on?

Bagon growled as they drew closer to a clearing. Ixen tried to force herself not to shake as they pushed back the branches to step into the clearing. At first she couldn't see much, but when she aimed her flashlight in the direction of the noises, she and Bagon were met with a shocking scene.

A dozen or so birds were swarming around, diving and taking it in turns to attack a Pokémon lying motionless on the ground. The flock's attacks scarred the bat's blue body with cuts and bruises, and even an open wound that looked like it was bleeding badly. It screeched softly now, begging for the flock of Spearow to cease their attacks. It made Ixen's heart break.

The poor Zubat was calling, _begging_ help.

"_Help me! Mum! Dad! Jasmine! _Please_ help me!"_ Ixen's eyes widened in horror as a familiar, young voice echoed in her mind. She didn't even hear Bagon's growl.

The flock of Spearow all turned to her with sharp glares before rounding on her and Bagon. The only thing Ixen remembered was a large, dull green body and piercing black eyes as she felt a blow to her head.

* * *

Have I mentioned that you guys are awesome, yet?

In news of life, I started my apprenticeship this Monday just gone and I haven't been getting back until five in the evening. Unfortunately this means updates are going to be slow. Best-case scenario: I upload one chapter a week (probably on weekends). Worst-case scenario: I upload one chapter every two or so weeks. Please bear with me.

Feel free to leave a review. I'd love to know your thoughts on the chapter.

Dolan


	10. Bats aren't that bad

**Chapter Summary:** Ixen is forced to face her fear when an injured Zubat is in danger. But will she deal with the painful memories that come along with it, or will she force them back down again?

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** When I realised I was writing chapter 10, my first thought was, "Oh God, we're in double digits".

Thank you **FanOf-Skitty**, **TheFinalElements**, **Sovereign and Unbroken**, **AronForever **and **Luna the Zekrom **for your reviews! And to the people who have faved and alerted this story; thank you so much. You guys are awesome.

Skitty: That's fine. I've improved a lot since writing those stories thanks to my reviewers, so I'm kind of glad I'm writing this story now instead of then. I'm glad you like this story, though. ^^

Elements: *lé gasps and holds Zubat tightly in my arms* I've always liked Zubat, no matter how much they annoyed me in the games. xD I do proof read the chapters before posting them, but even then there are mistakes that I miss or don't even know are there. That's why I always appreciate it if my readers point them out to me so I can correct them. I'm still deciding most of Ixen's team, so you'll have to wait and see. ;D

Sovereign: Damn, you did so many reviews. :'D I'm glad I've grabbed your interest. ^^ I'm not entirely sure if 'blacknette' is a word, but I know other writers who have used it.

Luna: I'm glad you liked the descriptions. I'm not very good a writing descriptions of the exterior and interior of buildings, but I love writing about forests and mountains. I'll be waiting patiently and eagerly for the next chapter of 'Pokémon Spirits'. Thank you for pointing out the mistakes I made, I've corrected them now. ^^ I've thought about publishing my own stories before, but my skills weren't very good back then. I'm not sure if they're good enough now. Thank you so much for the reviews and support you've given me.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Bats aren't that bad**

Ixen's head ached badly. She was only knocked out for a few moments, but it felt like she had been unconscious for hours. She could barely hear Bagon's growls or the Spearows' squawks over the sound of blood pumping in her ears. When she opened her eyes the world was spinning; light from the flashlight mixed with the darkness of the forest, and it made her stomach churn with nausea.

She raised a shaky hand to the left side of her forehead, near her temple, and gingerly touched her skin there before wincing when she felt a sharp stinging sensation. She pulled her hand back to see very small dabs of blood.

A loud, abrupt growl drew her attention to the situation. Ixen looked up to see Bagon was standing in front of her, baring his fangs at the flock of Spearow who were cawing and squawking at him threateningly. There were cuts and bruises all over his body from where he had been fighting and protecting her from the ruthless birds, and Ixen's heart ached at how heavily and painfully Bagon seemed to be breathing. A sudden surge of protectiveness over the little dragon made the teen force herself to her feet.

Bagon glanced back at her worriedly. :Ixen?:

A Spearow saw Bagon's distraction and took the chance to attack immediately. The Tiny Bird Pokémon dived down at the little dragon before anchoring its body to extend its claws and scratch him, but its claws never met Bagon.

Ixen dashed forward without any hesitation to protect him. With speed she didn't know she even possessed, Ixen scooped the injured dragon into her arms before turning her back on the advancing bird, crying out in pain when she felt sharp claws sink into the skin of her back. She gritted her teeth and bared the attack until the Spearow finally relented and flew back up.

:Are you okay?: Bagon demanded to know with worry. Ixen could only respond with a nod in that moment as the pain in her back was too intense for her to form words. She desperately wanted to know if Bagon was alright, she desperately wanted to get them out of there and to the safety of the campsite, but there was someone else they needed to rescue before they could.

She glanced back with a pained expression to see the Zubat they had heard screeching for help before, lying motionless and silent on the grassy terrain. A dreading fear ate away at her gut, but she tried to force it down. She couldn't freak out now, she couldn't think those thoughts now. That Zubat _was_ alive until she was proven otherwise.

The flock of Spearow regrouped in the sky to attack. They squawked loudly at Ixen for getting involved, trying to intimidate the teen or provoke her into attacking. Ixen recoiled slightly, glancing back at Zubat again, and for a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a younger version of herself cowering on the ground in tears. Pain struck her heart at the memory, and the same protectiveness she felt over Bagon began to develop for the Zubat.

Making sure Bagon was safely behind her, Ixen forced herself to stand shakily. The pain in her back was searing, and her head ached more than ever, but her heart began to pound with adrenaline as she faced the flock. She was scared, no, _terrified_, but if she didn't face her fear and stand up to them now, Bagon would be in trouble too.

_It's time to put my words into action,_ she thought somewhat bravely and took a step forward.

This provoked the flock of Spearow into diving down at her, knocking her back and causing her to fall to her knees as she shielded her head with her arms. When the pecking and scratching relented, Ixen gritted her teeth and stumbled back onto her feet. Glancing at Zubat's broken form fuelled her courage.

"L-listen to me…" Ixen's small voice was abruptly cut off by loud squawks, causing the teen to flinch but not retreat. Taking a deep breath, she spoke louder in a different language. :_Listen_ to me!: The Spearow stopped squawking at once, unsure of how to react to the strange 'growling'.

:I will not stand by and watch as you callously tear into another Pokémon when it has no means of defence!: Ixen shouted at them, every word growing louder as her emotions rose. :You may intimidate me. You may scare me, but I will _never_ back down when another life is in danger! You crossed the line when you hurt Bagon, and you _will_ regret that!: The flock of Spearow began to grow more agitated at Ixen's angered words, but she didn't stop. :I am a Daralexi, and I refuse to stand back and idly watch you hurt that Pokémon!:

Before any of them could react, Ixen dashed forward. She could barely feel any pain as she ran. Her mind was set on getting to the Zubat, and then getting all three of them out there. She paid no attention when the Spearow were confused and didn't know what to do. She paid no attention to them when they hesitantly decided to attack with less ruthlessness than before. She hurriedly, but carefully scooped the limp Zubat into her arms before running back to Bagon, lashing out at any Spearow that got close enough to her.

Ixen held the Zubat securely in one arm before scooping Bagon up in the other as she ran past, completely forgetting about her torch. Her eyes had adjusted somewhat to the darkness, allowing her to see where any trees were in her path. She could hear the flock of Spearow following her from behind and above, and this only made her run faster.

By the time she saw the light of the campfire she was panting heavily, sweat was trickling down her face and making her pyjamas stick to her body, and she was pretty sure the pain from the wounds on her back was getting worse. She startled everyone when she crashed through the brush into the camp, landing on her back roughly, whimpering as a fresh wave of pain wracked her body. Bagon immediately jumped out of her arm and stood next to her, glaring at the way they had came.

Hannah and Vince - who had already woken up from all of the strange sounds - gaped at a distressed and obviously injured Ixen.

"I-Ixen? What the hell happened?" Hannah demanded to know as she dashed over to her.

"This isn't good," Vince said urgently when he saw the scratch on the side of her head, "we need to get her to a doctor." His eyes widened at the sight of the injured Zubat in her arms. "That Pokémon…"

"Sp-Spearow…" Ixen wheezed in pain, "th-there's a flock…" It was getting hard for her to form words when the pain in her back returned with a vengeance as the adrenaline left her.

Bagon growled viciously, and Hannah and Vince looked up just in time to see the flock burst out from the darkness of the forest. They dived down with brutal movements, pecking and scratching Hannah, Vince and their Pokémon. Hannah narrowed her eyes, lashing out and hitting one of the birds back.

"I've had it with these damn birds!" she exclaimed. "Chikorita, use Razor Leaf! Buneary, use Pound! And Venipede, use Poison Sting!"

Hannah's Pokémon followed her command without hesitance. The Spearow easily dodged Chikorita's attack, and even when a leaf did hit one of the offending birds, it didn't do much damage. Buneary used her powerful hind legs to leap into the air, unrolling her ears to pound the nearest Spearow. Venipede raised his head and spat purple, poisonous stingers in the Spearows' direction, careful not to hit Buneary as she jumped. Their attacks weren't enough to push the flock back.

Vince gritted his teeth before glancing at Shinx. _That's it!_ "Shinx, use Spark!"

Shinx's eyes narrowed in determination as his fur began to crackle with bright electricity. As soon as he had generated enough electricity, the Flash Pokémon leapt forward and jumped up at the flock, releasing his electricity all at once and sending sparks shocking all of the birds. They squawked in horror and pain before turning wing and flying back into the forest out of sight. Everyone waited with baited breath until they were sure the Spearow were gone.

"Good work, Shinx," Vince praised, and the little feline simply yawned in return.

"You guys were great," Hannah said with a proud grin to her party members before turning to Ixen with a concerned expression. "How are you doing?"

"N-not so good," Ixen murmured painfully as she forced herself to sit up. She was still clutching the injured Zubat in her arms, and she wasn't sure if it was breathing. "We need t-to get to a Pokémon Centre."

"Holy shit…" Ixen looked over at Vince's horrified expression, his eyes were on her back. The clothing of her pyjama top had been ripped, and the skin underneath had been clawed. The wounds looked red and angry, and it was obvious they had been bleeding, if they still weren't that was.

"I-I agree with Vince there," Hannah said, sharing the same expression the brunette was wearing. "Your back is a mess, Ixen. Those Spearow really let you have it."

Ixen shook her head. "N-no, no not me. This Zubat needs treatment more. I'm not even sure if it's breathing."

Vince gingerly took the small bat from Ixen's arms, causing it to whimper pathetically. "Well, it's not dead, but if we don't get it to a Pokémon Centre soon…"

"Which city are we closest to?" Hannah asked urgently.

"Aust City, I think, but even if we run I'm not sure we'll make it in time."

"What if we go on the road?" Ixen suggested somewhat weakly. "M-maybe we could get a lift to the city?"

"How do we even know if anyone is out at this time of night?" Hannah asked, a hint of panic seeped into her voice.

"We have to try," Vince said with determination before gently handing the Zubat back to Ixen. "We need to move - now."

Hannah and Vince returned their Pokémon back to their capsules, and after a short argument, Bagon allowed Ixen to return him as well. The two teens quickly pulled their jeans on over their pyjama bottoms and put on their jackets before rolling their sleeping bags back up and stuffing them in their backpacks. Hannah carefully placed Ixen's jacket over her shoulders.

"I'll take the Zubat if you want," Hannah said with a shaky smile. "Vince is gonna carry you on his back."

"I can walk…" Ixen whispered adamantly, but Hannah shook her head.

"No, you can't; we think that blow to your head is worse than it looks. And your back isn't really helping at the moment."

Ixen sighed and let Hannah gently take Zubat from her arms, telling the blonde to be careful. She was too tired to argue. Vince knelt down in front of her and beckoned Ixen to wrap her arms around his neck before he lifted her up once he had a secure grip.

"Hannah, will you be able to carry two of the backpacks?" Vince asked.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, will you be alright carrying one of them _and_ Ixen?"

"I will," Ixen spoke up tiredly, "I can hold one as long as it doesn't make Vince fall forward."

"Are you sure?" Ixen nodded in response, her right hand outstretched for Vince's backpack.

Hannah clipped on her head flashlight and they were on their way back through the forest. They followed the path they took only hours before as fast as they could, careful not to trip or fall into any of the ditches they had been able to dodge earlier. Several times Vince moved too suddenly, causing the weight from Ixen and the backpack to tip him forward. If it wasn't for his quick reflexes, they would have been on the ground more than once.

Too many times for comfort Hannah stopped suddenly and looked down at the injured Zubat, thinking it wasn't breathing. Hannah would then look at them with an expression of deep relief before telling them it was a false alarm. The more the blonde did this, the more the trio realised how crucial it was to get Zubat to a Pokémon Centre as soon as possible.

"We need to go faster," Hannah said urgently, looking back at Ixen and Vince, tilting her head so the light didn't shine in their eyes. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale, and there was a cut on her right cheek that neither Ixen or Vince noticed before.

"I know, but if I go faster I'll hurt Ixen," Vince said with uncertainty. Every movement he made sent a wave of pain coursing up and down Ixen's back, and made Ixen tense when the pain became too great.

"I'm fine," Ixen assured them tiredly, "Zubat…focus on Zubat…"

"Ixen-"

"_No_. No, please… Zubat's life is in danger here - not mine."

Hannah and Vince looked at each other with conflicted looks before finally relenting. Vince looked back at the injured teen with a _very_ stern look. "Fine, but if at any point it starts to hurt too much, you'd better tell us. Got it?" Ixen nodded in agreement. "Let's go."

Hannah and Vince picked up their pace, practically running back through the forest. Soon both of the teens were sweating, hating the feeling of their clothes sticking to their skin, but they couldn't stop. Not when their legs aching for rest, not when their lungs were screaming for oxygen. They were growing increasingly worried for Ixen as well as the Zubat. It was obvious to Vince that the pain was getting worse after each wave when Ixen would tense horribly and whimper quietly.

They were out of the forest in just about an hour. They dashed out onto the dirt road, looking both ways for the headlights of a car. When they saw none, they listened out for the telltale growling of an engine, but heard nothing besides their heavy pants. Hannah looked at Vince with dismay.

"What do we do?" she wheezed.

Vince inhaled and exhaled deeply for a few more second before answering. "I don't know."

All three teens were now pale with panic now. They had a Pokémon _dying_ in their arms, and two of their family members injured pretty badly; this is exactly what Ixen was afraid of.

_It wouldn't be an adventure if things didn't go wrong every now and then"? What the hell was going through my head?_ Hannah thought, belittling herself harshly. "Damn it!"

"What's wrong?" Vince asked worriedly.

"Are you kidding me?" Hannah asked incredulously, panic was definitely setting in. "What's wrong? Everything's gone wrong, and it's my fault!"

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"I was the one who kept saying everything is going to be fine as long as we stuck together. Look at us! We're together and _nothing_ is fine! I stupidly pushed us forward without a thought about the dangers ahead."

"Guys…"

"Hannah, that's absurd!" Vince exclaimed. "You had no idea something like this would happen. None of us did."

"Don't bullshit me, Vince," Hannah snapped. "We all had our worries, and I dismissed them back at the Pokémon Centre with that stupid pep talk! I mean, look what happened!" She gestured to the severely injured Zubat in her arm, revealing small dabs of blood had seeped from one of the Bat Pokémon's wounds onto her jacket. "We weren't prepared to deal with this when we should have been. Even Ixen has suffered from this! And whose fault is it?"

"It isn't _yours_," Vince argued back exasperatedly, "none of this is your fault, Hannah. You're not the leader. No one is leading us but ourselves. This doesn't boil down to _you_. How were you supposed to know Ixen and Bagon were going to go off by themselves? How were you to know they'd come back injured with a half-dead Pokémon? You didn't. None of us did."

"Guys-"

"And don't go blaming yourself about your damn pep talk either," Vince continued regardless of Ixen's attempt to talk. "That pep talk didn't alter this situation in the slightest. If anything, it _helped_ us. You didn't dismiss our worries back at the Pokémon Centre, you helped us _deal_ with them. It didn't make us any less cautious or wary of the dangers that could happen. We're _Pokémon trainers_ on a journey where _anything_ can and will happen. There are going to be times when we make mistakes, and there are going to be times when we cause a bad situation, but this _isn't_ one of those times!"

A look of shock and uncertainty took over Hannah's face when she listened to the brunette's words. Her chocolate brown eyes glistened, causing Hannah to look like she was about to cry. "Vince…"

"_Guys_," Ixen hissed in both pain and frustration as she struggled against Vince's grip, jumping off of his back. Hannah and Vince fell silent at how stern Ixen sounded. "Can you two _shut up_ for a moment and _listen_?"

The two teens frowned at each other before listening intently. Their eyes widened hopefully when they heard the growling of an engine; a vehicle was coming their way!

"I see the headlights!" Hannah exclaimed with excitement and apprehension.

They quickly picked up their bags and got off the road. Vince forced Ixen to sit down and rest while Hannah carefully and gently placed the injured Zubat in her arms before stepping back on the road, waving her arms to get the driver's attention. Ixen and Vince waited anxiously to see if the driver would take any notice of Hannah's frantic waving, or if they would simply drive by and ignore them. Fear struck Ixen hard at that thought.

"Please," Vince whispered anxiously, "please stop…"

Ixen looked down at the Zubat in her arms. Her chest clenched painfully at how broken the little creature looked. This person _needed_ to stop, they _needed_ help them; this life needed to be saved. She clenched her eyes shut and hoped with all of her heart that the driver stopped.

The growling of an engine greeted them. Ixen looked up when an old-looking truck rattled closer to them, and for a moment she thought it wasn't going to stop. The truck jolted to a halt, spitting out a cloud of smoke from the exhaust, causing the three teenagers to cough and cover their faces with their arms.

A somewhat aged man rolled down his window and poked his head out to peer at the teens. His face was wrinkled, his grey hair was thin from bolding, and he had a friendly smile stretching his dry lips.

"You kids need a ride?"

* * *

It had been a couple of hours since the trio had received a lift to Aust City's Pokémon Centre. The elderly man that had driven them there waited for them to get out of his truck before saying his farewell and driving away. They never even caught his name.

Ixen sat in the waiting room wearing an anxious expression with Bagon sat on her lap, nuzzling her hand comfortingly. His injuries had been healed and he was now back to full health. Ixen wasn't so lucky.

A doctor was called out as soon as Zubat was taken into theatre. Ixen's injuries were cleaned and dressed, and she was now wearing a clean set of pyjamas. A bandage had been securely taped to the left side of her head, and her arms had also been wrapped in bandages after she discovered her arms had also fallen under the Spearows' attack. Her head injury wasn't as bad as originally thought, but she had to take painkillers to deal with the pain from her back.

_Mum and Dad aren't going to be happy about this,_ she thought dejectedly as she tickled Bagon's nose.

"Why can't they heal us like they do with Pokémon?" Hannah demanded to know as she sat down next to Ixen, fiddling with the plaster that covered the cut on her cheek.

"Because it's to do with the Poké Ball," Vince replied, who was sitting to Ixen's right with a book about Pokémon contests in his hand. "The healing station sends energy into the capsules, the Pokémon absorb that energy, and _then_ that energy is used to heal their wounds."

"And how the hell does _that_ work?"

"Hannah, I'm seriously too tired to explain the mechanics and science behind a healing station." To illustrate this point, Vince rubbed under his eyes as he attempted to suppress a yawn.

Hannah narrowed his eyes at him before glancing at Ixen with concern. "You okay?"

Ixen flinched and looked up at Hannah, obviously being drawn out from her thoughts. "Y-yeah… Yeah, I just… I was thinking."

"I could see."

Vince looked up from his book to give Ixen a somewhat fretful look. "You know…if you don't want to continue travelling, that's fine."

"W-what?" Ixen's eyes widened in shock, even Bagon looked surprised. Hannah looked away with a forlorn expression.

"We won't force you to travel if you don't want to. I understand that what happened in the forest was terrifying. For all of us I think." Vince looked at Hannah.

Said blonde narrowed her eyes before sighing. "I'm sorry for freaking out, okay? I just… I haven't been in that kind of situation where the wrong move could end in disaster."

"And you think we have?" Vince asked incredulously before shaking his head. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Just know that that situation was not your fault."

"I _know_ that now," Hannah retorted, "anyway, that's not the issue right now." She looked back at Ixen who was wearing a thoughtful expression.

"I…have thought about going back home," Ixen admitted, causing Hannah and Vince to stare at her with apprehension. Bagon looked up at her with a concerned expression, because only he could sense the full extent of her conflicted emotions in that moment.

"And…?" Vince pressed gently.

"I wanted to go back home at first. I didn't - and still don't - want to experience the kind of fear I felt back in the forest when it was just me and Bagon up against those Spearow ever again. But then I thought of the Zubat." Ixen's thoughtful expression became a painful one, earning looks of worry and confusion by Hannah and Vince. "When I saw it lying there back in the forest, it brought back some painful memories…"

"Do you mean when your fear of Pokémon was caused?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," Ixen sighed and leaned back in her seat. "Seeing Zubat reminded me of my younger self, and remembering that…it makes me want to move on. I don't want to be afraid of Pokémon anymore. I don't want that memory to haunt me anymore."

:Ixen…: Bagon whispered softly.

The blacknette closed her eyes and the memory of that day came instantly. The rocky terrain; the hot sun beating down; the sound of children's laughter turning into screams of fear and terror; the piercing black eyes of a giant, dull green Pokémon.

"_Ixen!"_

She gasped and flinched up before wincing, the sudden movement causing the wounds on her back to sting slightly.

"It's okay," Vince assured her with a tired smile, "we're here."

Suddenly, the doors leading into the theatre opened, and Nurse Joy walked out with an exhausted but happy smile. Ixen's heart fluttered with hope as she scooped Bagon into her arms before standing up.

"Nurse Joy!" she exclaimed. "How is Zubat? Is it okay?"

Nurse Joy's smile broadened. "Zubat is going to be just fine. I've treated and dressed her injuries, and when she's had a good rest, I'll finish healing her injuries."

Ixen couldn't help but beam with relief and euphoria. It felt like a huge weight of anxiety and worry had been lifted off of her shoulders. "Is it okay if I see her?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't want to get some sleep? It's almost five in the morning."

Ixen shook her head. "I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight, anyway." She turned to Hannah and Vince who were wearing very tired expressions. "You guys can get some sleep if you want."

"You sure?"

"Mhm, you two look like you need it."

"So do you," Vince remarked before yawning and closing his book. "I'm going to take up your offer. Just remember to try and get _some_ sleep."

"I'll take Bagon, if you want," Hannah offered when the little dragon let out a large yawn.

"Do you want to go with Hannah?" Ixen asked, but Bagon curled deeper into her arms before dozing off. Ixen laughed quietly. "I think that was a 'no'."

Hannah shook her head with a grin. "See you in the morning."

Ixen nodded and bid them a goodnight before following Nurse Joy into the recovery rooms. Ixen had never been in that part of a Pokémon Centre before, and it was strikingly similar to a hospital for humans. It had the same disinfectant smell with the same clean, hospital look. But instead of their being human patients, there were Pokémon patients.

Nurse Joy led Ixen into a large room with half a dozen or so beds inside. In each one was a different Pokémon recovering from some kind of illness or injury. Ixen felt a twinge of fear flutter against her stomach, but immediately pushed it down. Her fear didn't matter, this wasn't about her. She followed Nurse Joy as calmly as she could, her eyes widening when she finally approached Zubat's bed.

The little Bat Pokémon's injuries had been dressed and cleaned, and she was breathing evenly while a monitor recorded her heart rate. Ixen stepped forward and gazed at the little bat, unable to take her eyes off the small body. She seemed so vulnerable.

"Here," Nurse Joy said softly, and Ixen turned around to see the nurse had pulled a chair over.

"Thank you," Ixen murmured with a tired smile before sitting down next to Zubat's bed, settling a cranky Bagon into her lap.

Two pink Pokémon appeared behind Nurse Joy, tugging at her skirt to gain her attention. Ixen remembered one of them was Chansey, and the other was Audino. Nurse Joy turned around with a smile. "I know, I'm coming now. Will you be alright on your own?" Ixen nodded, her eyes hadn't left Zubat's form.

Ixen waited until Nurse Joy had left the room before saying anything. She opened her mouth before abruptly closing it. What was she even supposed to say? What would it matter? Would this Zubat even be grateful that she was saved?

_You're worrying too much again,_ Ixen thought with a sigh. She inhaled deeply before speaking. "Hi…Zubat," she said feeling a little awkward. "I just…wanted to say I'm sorry, I guess. I know my friends said I shouldn't apologise for anything, but I almost let my fear get the better of me back at the forest. If I had, there's a likely chance you wouldn't be here now." Ixen frowned at her words. Where was she going with this? "I…I don't really know what to say to be honest. I guess the right thing would be to say nothing at all, but I _feel_ like I need to. I know what it feels like to be attacked like that. You feel alone…defenseless. You cry out for help until you feel pathetic as well as terrified, but you continue anyway. Eventually, someone comes along and helps you, or it's all over before that happens. I guess that's the harsh reality of life." Ixen smiled sadly at that, and slowly raised her hand to Zubat, gently placing it on her body before tickling Zubat behind the ear.

The Bat Pokémon made a quiet chirping noise. Not one of pain, but one of contentment and comfort. Ixen's smile became brighter. "Despite that harsh reality, when someone does come along to help you, you need to know you're no longer alone. Just like you, Zubat, you're not alone anymore. Bagon and I are here. We're not going anywhere."

Zubat made no noise after that. She slept on peacefully, and Ixen stayed with her. Eventually the teenager rested her head next to the injured Bat Pokémon, and her eyes fluttered shut before she fell asleep. The last thing she heard was Bagon's quiet snoring and Zubat's gentle breathing.

* * *

It was almost midday when the three teenagers were finally ready. They had freshened up and changed into their day clothes, but all three were unfortunately sore after all the running they did the night before. Despite taking the painkillers the doctor gave Ixen, she hadn't escaped the feeling of her legs screaming bloody murder at her.

Ixen's thoughts kept lingering back to Zubat. She had been politely kicked out of the recovering room around about nine in the morning so Nurse Joy could heal the rest of Zubat's injuries. That was almost three hours ago, and nothing could stop her from worrying despite Nurse Joy assuring her Zubat was fine.

She tried to distract herself from these thoughts by watching their Pokémon. Bagon was very grumpy and tired after the night they had, and was in no mood for games. So when Torchic wound him up like usual, Bagon didn't hold back when he head butted him, sending the Chick Pokémon flying into a plant and knocking the pot it was in over. The rest of the Pokémon watched in amusement as Bagon and Torchic had their scuffle. Their amusement didn't last for long when the fight caused Bagon to step on Shinx's tail. The Flash Pokémon narrowed his eyes, his fur crackled and stood on end, and he released a large spark of electricity, shocking everyone near him.

Soon a big fight broke out, and the loud ruckus gained the attention of everyone in the canteen. Hannah and Vince quickly tried to break up the fight, returning their Pokémon back into their capsules while Ixen grabbed Bagon and held him back as Vince struggled to return Torchic, who was dodging each attempt to get to the little dragon.

By the time they finally managed to calm everyone down, Nurse Joy was making her way over to the teenagers with a beaming smile and an arm behind her back. Hannah noticed her first, and a surprisingly sincere apologetic expression took over her face.

"We're really sorry for the noise, Nurse Joy," Hannah said, causing Ixen and Vince to look at Nurse Joy with surprise. "They just started fighting so suddenly."

"It's fine," Nurse Joy assured her, "Pokémon are bound to get into small fights with each other. They're like people - even they have bad days and good days with each other."

Hannah sighed in relief while Ixen fidgeted with her hands nervously. "Um…how is Zubat?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Nurse Joy gently revealed her arm from behind her back, showing a healthy Zubat hanging off of it with ease.

Ixen gaped at how well Zubat had recovered. She would have never guessed the Zubat she had saved only hours before was the very same Zubat she was seeing now. The wounds the flock of Spearow had inflicted were now fully healed, she couldn't even see a scar. Despite not having eyes, Zubat's ears perked, and she let out an excited chirp before spreading her webbed wings and beating them to take off. She righted herself in the air and hovered by Nurse Joy for a few moments before flying over to Ixen, angling her body and gliding around the teenager's head with skill and agility. A bright smile stretched Ixen's lips as she watched Zubat glide and dive about. She didn't even realise she wasn't afraid.

When Zubat finally stopped flying about, she hovered beside Ixen, waiting for a place to land. The teen blinked and held out her arm, watching with wonder as the small bat curled her thin legs and landed on Ixen's forearm before folding her wings in. A large smile graced Zubat's mouth.

Ixen gingerly reached out and tickled behind one of Zubat's large ears. Zubat let out a relaxed chirping, and Ixen's smile broadened.

"It looks as if Zubat likes you," Vince mused.

"Huh?"

"I agree with Vince there," Hannah said with a grin, "I think she wants to come with you."

"W-what?" Ixen looked at Zubat with a look of hope and anticipation. "Is that true, Zubat?" Zubat nodded with excitement before spreading her wings again and beating them down, soaring up into the air again.

Bagon growled and jumped in front of Ixen to face Zubat with a buzz of eagerness. He looked back at Ixen with a nod. :She wants to battle us. She is giving us this challenge.:

Ixen's eyes widened in realisation before nodding at Zubat. "Is it okay we have a battle here, Nurse Joy?"

"In here?" Nurse Joy frowned. "I guess it's alright as long as you don't break anything."

"Okay." Ixen turned back to Zubat with a grin. "I accept your challenge, Zubat."

"This is gonna be exciting!" Hannah exclaimed. "You can do it, Ixen!"

"She looks a lot more confident this time as well," Vince observed, but his eyes narrowed with worry. _Just how long will that confidence last?_

Zubat let out a battle screech before diving down at Bagon, her wings glowing with energy as she soared to attack the little dragon with a Wing Attack.

"Bagon, counter it with Headbutt!" Ixen commanded, and Bagon lunged forward, tucking his head down at the advancing bat. The two collided and Bagon's attack overpowered Zubat's, knocking the Bat Pokémon back. Ixen then commanded Bagon to use Bite, and the little dragon followed it with no hesitation. Zubat dodged the attack easily by diving back up into the air.

Bagon skidded to a halt and growled in frustration. Zubat opened her mouth before screeching loudly, her Super Sonic attack hitting Bagon directly and confusing him. Bagon growled furiously, his eyes narrowed but unfocused. He tucked his head down and launched a powerful Headbutt at a table, knocking the furniture over with a _bang_.

"B-Bagon, what's wrong?" Ixen asked with concern. She had never seen Bagon act this way before.

"Ixen, he's confused," Vince informed her, "you need to snap him out of it!"

Ixen bit her lip, but nodded nonetheless. How was she going to snap him out of his confusion?

She couldn't dwell on it for very long as Zubat launched another Wing Attack, hitting Bagon with a powerful blow and sending him flying across the floor. Ixen couldn't suppress her gasp as he skidded to a stop on his back. The little dragon blinked a few times before shaking his head and leaping back on his feet with a focused look. Zubat's attacked had snapped him out of his confusion. Ixen sighed with relief.

A determined expression took over Zubat's face as she released another Super Sonic at Bagon, but he dodged it with ease before glancing back at Ixen. The blacknette grinned and nodded. "Use Leer!"

Bagon's eyes glinted sharply before narrowing at Zubat, causing the Bat Pokémon to falter and retreat slightly, lowering closer to the ground. Ixen saw her chance and she took it. "Now - use Headbutt!" Bagon tucked his head in and lunged forward at full force, smashing into the Bat Pokémon, knocking her to the ground. She shuddered, unable to move.

Ixen quickly pulled out a miniaturised Poké Ball, clicking on the button to expand its size before pulling her arm back and throwing it at Zubat. She watched with anticipation and excitement as the capsule made contact with the Poison-Flying type, sucking her in with a flash of light before closing and rolling back and forth on the floor. Her heart pounded and she waited with baited breath; her eyes widened when the Poké Ball clicked, signalling Zubat had been caught.

Ixen remained still for a moment, stunned that she had just caught her first Pokémon. "You did it, Ixen!" Hannah cheered, snapping the teen out of her stupor. She grinned widely before dashing forward, snatching the capsule from the ground and holding it in her hands, a joyful feeling invading her senses.

"Welcome to the family, Zubat," Ixen whispered to the capsule. With a smile, a single thought entered her mind. A thought she only shared with the little bat and a certain little dragon.

_You're not alone anymore._

* * *

Poor Ixen and Bagon. I feel these two might end up being subjected to most of the injuries on this journey. xD I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't very plotful (that is now a word, shush). The last chapter would have been too long if this one was with it.

I ALSO DON'T KNOW HOW A HEALING STATION WORKS, SO I GUESSED. PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME IF I'M WRONG.

Feel free to leave a review, I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter.

Dolan


	11. Evolution isn't always a good thing

**Chapter Summary:** The trio finally make it to Hythe City, only to be greeted by a couple of familiar faces and some worrying news about a new organisation.

**Warnings:** Mild violence, some swearing in chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon. Only the region and the characters.

**A/N:** Oh look, the possible enemy has finally made their appearance. About bloody time. I'm sorry for the late update, it's been pretty hectic lately.

Thank you **Luna the Zekrom**, **Sovereign and Unbroken**, **Shadow Serenity 57**, **TheFinalElements**, **OreoNinja**, **Kid Ape 2 **and **Anbaricdragon **for your reviews! And to the people who have faved and alerted this story; thank you so much. You guys are awesome. (P.s. I've started putting the review replies at the bottom of the chapter, so if you want to read your reply, you can read them there. c:)

* * *

**Chapter 11: Evolution isn't always a good thing**

It was raining lightly when Ixen, Hannah and Vince finally arrived at Hythe City a day after the 'Redwood Forest Incident'. It was late in the morning, and dark grey clouds had rolled in just as the trio exited the forest. Hythe City was a little bigger than Aust City, but with the depressing weather looming over it, it didn't look as impressing as the previous city had. Shops that would usually have bright outside displays looked closed up and dark despite being open, and local market stalls were all packed up, leaving an empty space with bare pitches behind.

The three teens ran for cover to a small shop with a blue roof when the rain became heavier. The front door slid open automatically, allowing them to shelter from the rain as a blast of warm air hit their faces. The Poké Mart was fairly empty due to the weather, and the cashier simply glanced at them with a bored expression before his eyes returned to the screen of his phone. Ixen and Hannah peered at the stock on the shelves, reading the labels of all of the colourful products while Vince frowned at the exit of the shop as the rain poured down heavier.

Vince opened his mouth to say something to Ixen and Hannah, but a familiar voice spoke before him. "Well, well, look who it is."

The three teens turned around at the same time to see a familiar blonde girl standing only a few feet away. The girl was wearing a pair of black leggings and a long, dark blue raincoat over whatever she was wearing underneath. Her arms were crossed, and she had a cocky grin tugging at her lips that made Ixen feel nervous while it made Vince's blood boiled. Hannah on the other hand…

"Lily!" she exclaimed, her eyes were light with excitement as she bounded over to the teen. "How are you?"

Lily blinked in surprise at the other blonde's greeting, but quickly schooled her expression with another cocky smirk. "I'm quite well, thank you. I can't say the same about you three, though."

Ixen realised Lily wasn't talking about their flustered and slightly damp appearances; especially with the way her sky blue eyes flickered from the cut on Hannah's cheek to the bandage on Ixen's forehead. Quickly becoming self conscious, Ixen hastily brushed her fingers through her ebony black fringe, silently cursing at the way her hair refused to work with her when it became frizzy.

"We're _perfectly_ fine, thank you," Vince replied sharply, almost snapping. The first time he had spoken to Lily did not leave good impressions for either of them. Vince disliked the girl for being arrogant and rude, and their conversation had almost turned into an argument if it weren't for Ixen and Luke's interjections.

"Of course you are," Lily remarked, "I mean, you guys are just clumsy right? Fallen into a bush of thorns? Luke has almost done that twice now; it's perfectly normal for-"

"Lily, stop trying to cause an argument."

From behind a shelf of Potions appeared a familiar boy identical to Lily. He wore a slight frown on his lips that was aimed at Lily, but when his eyes landed on the trio, they lit up and his mouth curved into a genuine smile. Unlike Lily, Luke was a calm, quiet person, and appeared to be the only person who could really handle his twin. He too was wearing a long, dark blue raincoat and a pair of blue jeans.

"I'm not trying to cause an argument," Lily mutter with narrowed eyes before speaking louder. "I was giving them some advice."

"I think you need a few extra lessons in English to tell the difference between what 'advice' is, and what being an arrogant, little-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Hannah quickly interjected, standing between Vince and Lily when Lily looked like she was about to jump the brunette and slit his throat, "we're all friends here. No one needs to insult anyone."

"_We're friends_?" Vince and Lily demanded to know at the same time, disgust easily visible on both of their facial features.

"Th-there's no need to argue," Ixen piped up with a nervous smile.

"_I'm_ not the one starting the arguments," Vince said through gritted teeth.

Lily sent a dark glare in his direction. "_I'm_ not the one who can't suck it up and take advice when it's _obviously_ needed."

"Well, _both_ of you are gonna get kicked out into the rain in a minute if you don't shut up," the cashier snapped from the counter with an annoyed expression on his face. The five teenagers immediately quietened down before sending apologetic glances.

Luke cleared his throat when an awkward silence fell over them, and inclined his head at the girls' injuries. "So, how did they happen?"

"Oh, these?" Hannah grinned mischievously and wrapped an arm around Ixen's shoulders. "This is what happens when _this one_ faces her fears. She isn't all quiet and innocent, you know."

"Excuse me?"

"Anyway, what are you two up to?"

Ixen sent a half-hearted glare in the blonde's direction at the not-so-subtle topic change.

"Preparing for our first contest," Lily stated with anticipation before looking slightly dejected. "Well, we would be if the Hythe City Pokémon Contest hadn't been cancelled."

"It's been cancelled?" Vince asked, looking shocked. "Why?"

"You haven't heard?" Luke asked before grimacing. "A rogue organisation has been running around causing trouble for trainers who own Dragon type Pokémon.

Worry and fear struck Ixen by those words. "Causing trouble?"

"Yeah; they were last spotted near Hythe City, so the Pokémon Contest was cancelled."

The trio cast worried glances to each other. Ixen found herself reaching around her belt and taking hold of the red and white capsule that was currently holding Bagon in. If anything were to happen to him…

"But they haven't caused _big_ trouble, right?" Hannah asked with a somewhat forced grin. "I mean, not as big as the organisations that caused trouble for Kanto and the other regions?"

"We don't know," Lily replied with an annoyed expression, "the police are too busy being stupid to find out any useful information on them. They don't even know the name of the organisation."

"Or maybe they don't want to release any information yet?" Luke suggested matter-of-factly. Lily just waved a dismissive hand.

"It's still worrisome," Vince mused, "I wonder what they want."

"Aw, don't worry, Vincey," Lily taunted with a grin, earning an irritated look from the brunette, "I bet they're just wannabe Team Rockets; they'll fizzle out and disappear when they realise they're not scaring anyone."

"I hope so," Ixen mumbled worriedly.

"Oi," the cashier called sternly from the counter, "if you're not gonna buy anything, then you can leave. It's stopped raining now."

The group of teenagers glanced at the door to see that it had indeed stopped raining, but it still looked pretty miserable out there. With an air of reluctance, the five left the shop. As soon as they felt the cold, bitter air hit their faces, they immediately decided to head to the Pokémon Centre when Hannah mentioned the trio's Pokémon probably needed some rest. It was a good thing they did, because just as the automatic glass doors of the building opened it started to rain again.

Once their Pokémon were rested up, the teenagers settled in the canteen before getting lunch for them and their Pokémon.

"Go, Piplup!" Lily called out with a grin. The little blue penguin let out a small chirp before holding his peak high and puffing out his chest in pride. Bagon and Torchic immediately narrowed their eyes at the Water type.

"Snivy, Pidgey; come on out." The green reptile and a petite, tanned bird came out of their capsules in a flash of light. Snivy crossed his arms in a confident, but reserved manner while Pidgey spread his small, powerful wings and took to the air next to Zubat. The little bat squeaked and dived behind Ixen (surprising her) before peeking out shyly.

"Huh? How come you only have one Pokémon, Lily?" Hannah inquired with genuine curiosity.

Lily faltered at the question before laughing. "Th-that's because we haven't found a Pokémon amazing enough, right Piplup?"

"Pip-Piplup!" he chirped back in agreement.

"What she means is she hasn't been able to catch a Pokémon yet," Luke added helpfully.

It might have been Ixen's imagination, but she could have sworn she saw a brief look of insecurity flash over Lily's face before it was masked over with distinct arrogance.

"So what if I haven't caught another Pokémon yet? I have Piplup, and that's all that matters."

Hannah opened her mouth to say something, but yelped and frowned at Ixen when the raven-haired teen elbowed her in the side. The subject was dropped, and the matter of food came to the forefront of everyone's minds.

While Hannah, Vince and Lily fed the Pokémon, Ixen and Luke were given the task of getting lunch for everyone. It was the first time the two had been alone together, so an awkward silence fell over them as they gathered the items on the list. That was until Luke broke it.

"Hey, you can tell me if I'm poking my nose where it doesn't belong, but I've kind of noticed something." Ixen blinked at him, indicating him to continue. "You seem kind of…edgy? I guess? Around Pokémon, I mean. Why is that?"

Ixen gave a small smile. "No, it's okay. I've been afraid of Pokémon since I was pretty young, and I could never stand being near even one. But when Bagon hatched in my arms…when he grew and developed and lived with me…I decided I didn't want to let that fear rule my life anymore. As selfish as it sounds, I didn't want to be left behind while Hannah and Vince began a journey. It's taking time…but I'm getting there."

"I don't think that's selfish," Luke said with a reassuring smile. "I think Lily could do with taking a page out of your book."

"What?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

Ixen frowned, but before she could ask what Luke meant, Hannah suddenly appeared from behind. "Are you two done yet?"

Once lunch was served, everyone got tucked in and idly watched the large television pinned up to one of the canteen walls. The Pokémon were far from settled however.

As soon as they had finished their food, tensions between Torchic and Piplup grew thicker. The two flightless birds continued to glare at each other heatedly, pressing their faces against the others', daring each other to make the first move. The other Pokémon were standing somewhat neutral to the whole scene. Bagon, Chikorita, Buneary and even Minccino were standing tense, waiting to intervene in case things got a little _too_ heated. Venipede and Shinx were too preoccupied with sleeping to care, Zubat had backed away to hide behind Bagon, and Snivy and Pidgey - who were used to Piplup's behaviour - simply shrugged it off and continued eating the last of their lunch.

Piplup's peak tilted upward into a cocky grin before chirping something quietly to Torchic. The Chick Pokémon's eyes widened in an insulted manner before they narrowed in a deadly glare. Sensing a serious fight was about to break out, Minccino leaped forward and forced herself between the two birds, squeaking at both of them in a stern tone. Piplup blinked at the grey chinchilla before narrowing his eyes and lunging at her, pecking her hard on the head. Minccino let out a pained cry, causing Bagon, Chikorita, Torchic and Buneary to dash forward.

The noise of the commotion drew the teenager's attention over to their Pokémon, but before anyone could stand up and react, Snivy released a pair of vines from his neck and whipped them into the chaos. He wrapped them around Torchic's and Piplup's middles before roughly lifting them into the air, much to the flightless birds' surprise. They turned and chirped angrily at the Grass Snake Pokémon, causing him to narrow his eyes and whip his vines, hitting their heads together with a _dok!_ noise before loosening his grip on the two and letting them fall. They whimpered painfully as a bruise began to develop on their heads.

"I think you may have overdone it there, Snivy," Luke said, shaking his head.

"Sni-vy," was all the little Grass type replied with as he retracted his vines and crossed his arms.

The teens decided it was probably better if they returned everyone (besides Bagon as he refused) to their Poké Balls to calm down before a sudden news report stole their attention.

"This just in," the news report lady said in an urgent tone, "more news about the rogue organisation causing trouble has been released by the police. The organisation, now known as 'Team Evolution', has reportedly stolen Dragon type Pokémon away from their trainers. The band of criminals was first spotted only a few days ago near Harrow Town, and since then six trainers have reported having their Pokémon stolen." Ixen's eyes widened and her arms around Bagon tightened, causing the little dragon to glance up at her worriedly. "The police have told us that they were last spotted in the north of Hythe City, so we are now advising everyone who owns a Dragon type Pokémon in that area to be extremely cautious. Keep your Pokémon near you at all times, and make sure you are not on your own. Team Evolution has been known to use violence."

The news report went on, but Lily seemed to have something else on her mind. "We need to go there - now."

"What are you talking about?" Vince demanded to know, but he had a suspicion he already knew.

"Where do you think?" Lily asked rhetorically. "We need to go north of the city."

"Lily, we're _not_ getting involved in this," Luke said in a tone only stern brothers would use. "These are _criminals_ we're talking about, not some bullies in the playground."

"Think about Molly, Luke!" she shouted angrily. "She lives up in the north of Hythe City, and to top it off she has an Axew!"

The urgency Lily was feeling was finally starting to make sense. The realisation took over Luke's face. "I completely forgot…"

"Evidently," Lily quipped. "You guys don't have to come. I can take them by myself if I come across them."

"Not a chance," Hannah said with a confident grin, "we're coming too. It'll be safer if there are more of us."

"Hannah, you - we - can't!" Ixen argued hastily. "Think about it! It's like Luke said - they're criminals!"

"I have to agree with Ixen," Vince added with narrowed eyes, "and we all heard what the news said. These guys _will_ resort to violence if they don't get what they want."

"Oh big deal," Lily said sarcastically. "If they resort to violence, so will we."

"Two wrongs don't make a right," Ixen mumbled to herself, and Bagon nodded in agreement. Lily scowled at Ixen, causing the blacknette to flinch, and Bagon to bare his fangs at the blonde.

"Think about it this way then; what if it was your Bagon in danger? What would you do?"

As soon as the question left Lily's lips, Ixen's eyes narrowed in a rather dangerous looking glare. Normally such a dark expression from Ixen would be enough to make Hannah and Vince flinch, but it only made Lily nod and cross her arms in a superior manner.

"Exactly," she said as if Ixen proved her right, "you'd do everything you can to protect him. Right now my friend could possibly be in danger, so I'm going and that's that."

The trio shared a look of uncertainty while Luke let out a defeated sigh before narrowing his eyes sternly at his twin. "Fine, but the moment it gets dangerous - and I mean _dangerous_ - we're getting out of there. Okay?"

Lily didn't reply to that. She shouldered her backpack and looked at them expectantly. Luke reluctantly shouldered his and stood beside his sister, obviously still not happy with the whole development. Hannah shouldered hers - much to Ixen and Vince's surprise - before giving them a look that said, _what choice do we have?_

Vince sighed heavily and picked up his bag. "Okay, _okay_, let's just get this over and be done with it."

Ixen's heart sank, and Bagon felt her emotions. She bit her lip and pulled out Bagon's Poké Ball. "It'll be safer if you're inside."

:Not a chance!: Bagon growled adamantly.

"Bagon, please!" Ixen pleaded, desperately trying to stop herself from speaking in the dragon language. "It'll only be for a short time, I promise."

The Rock Head Pokémon shook his head and jumped out of Ixen's arms, standing in front of her with a defiant expression. :Not when you're heading into danger!:

"I've never seen Bagon act like this," Hannah mused.

Ixen looked at Bagon helplessly and knew she was losing an impossible battle. Bagon had always been stubborn, but usually he would eventually swallow down his stubbornness and reluctantly agree. Apparently that wasn't happening this time. Ixen hesitantly put the red and white capsule away before picking up her backpack; why did they always have to get involved in these kind of situations?

"Are we _finally_ ready?" Lily demanded impatiently, earning a glare from Vince.

Ixen reluctantly picked Bagon up before nodding. Once they left the Pokémon Centre, Lily began leading them to the northern part of the city. It didn't take long for busy roads and streets surrounded by bustling shops to transform into quiet neighbourhoods of residential houses. Ixen wondered how Lily even managed to navigate her way around the estates when the houses all looked the same. They were the same semi-detached houses with the same wall designs, the same windows, the same doors, the same gardens, the same _everything_.

"Why does everything look the same?" Hannah questioned, voicing Ixen's thoughts.

"I was about to ask the same thing," Vince added.

"You've obviously never been in the residential areas of cities before, have you?" Lily asked rhetorically in a droll tone. "Things are done differently in cities than they are in small towns like Waterwick."

"Waterwick isn't _that_ small," Vince defended.

As Vince and Lily continued to bicker back and forth, Hannah and Luke finally had a chance to talk to each other, leaving Ixen alone with her thoughts. She was still regretting tagging along. What if she had to battle a member of Team Evolution? The only person she had battled so far was Hannah, and that nearly ended in disaster. What if she lost and they took Bagon away from her? What if she couldn't get him back? Her thoughts began to make her feel sick.

:Ixen,: Bagon growled, and the urgency made her flinch before reluctantly lagging behind so she could speak to the little dragon.

:What is it?: she whispered, glancing at her friends.

:Have you noticed the strange paths?: Ixen frowned at Bagon's question. What was he…? :Look, they run between the buildings.:

Ixen watched his gaze before her eyes widened. She finally understood what Bagon was talking about; there were small, darkish alleyways that ran in between and behind some of the houses, probably acting as shortcuts for the residents. This didn't comfort Ixen, instead it caused a flutter of fear to settle against her gut. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Speeding up her walking to catch up with the other teenagers, she attempted to inform them of what they had missed.

"H-hey, everyone-"

"Molly!" Lily's loud, abrupt shout cut Ixen off before the blonde ran over to a red-haired girl who looked a little younger than them. "Molly, are you okay? What are you doing out here?"

The teenage girl Molly was standing at the end of her garden, shaking and slightly damp from the rainstorm that had passed over. Her red hair was messy and slightly knotted, and her face was pale with fright. Her brown eyes widened in relief at the sight of Lily, but the fear was still evident.

"L-Lily," she breathed as the older teen pulled her into a hug. The red head took a few shuddering breaths before breaking down into a sobbing wreck, wrapping her arms around Lily's middle as she cried. "Lily… Lily, what do I do? They took her! They took Axew! What am I gonna do?"

A worried, pained expression took over Lily's face as she held her friend, patting her head and whispering things only Molly could hear.

"Who took Axew, Molly?" Luke asked gently, but urgently. They all had a bad feeling they already knew.

"Th-that rogue band of criminals…" Molly sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I…I couldn't do _anything_… I tried to fight back…but they pushed me down and snatched her… They snatched Axew b-before taking off…"

"Taking off where?" Hannah asked.

"Th-that way…" Everyone's eyes landed on the alleyway Molly was pointing to. "I can't go down there by myself… I'm not allowed to… What am I going to do, Lily?" Ixen felt so bad for the girl, she looked so _helpless_. It would have ripped Ixen in two if Bagon was taken from her; if Zubat was taken from her. She was sure Hannah and Vince would feel the same way.

:We need to help,: Bagon said adamantly, and much to his surprise, Ixen nodded with new found determination.

"We should call the police," Vince said quickly as he pulled out his phone.

"What good will that do?" Lily demanded to know. "By the time they get here, Team Evolution will be long gone. We need to act _now_."

"And what if we do find them?" Luke said evenly. "The situation will most likely turn violent. Can you handle that?"

"I agree with Lily." Shocked glances all turn to Ixen, who was just as shocked as the rest of them, but continued. "If we don't do anything now, Axew and those criminals will get away."

"We need to form our plan of attack," Hannah said with a serious-looking grin. "Someone should stay here with Molly while the rest of us split of into pairs and search for Team Evolution, we'll cover more ground that way."

"That's…actually a good plan," Vince said surprised. "Who wants to stay?"

"I'm definitely not," Lily said adamantly.

"Ixen?" She looked over at Hannah who was giving her a worried look.

Ixen shook her head. "No, I'm going."

"Are you-?"

"I'm sure."

Hannah stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Got it. I'm not staying either. Those guys need to be taught a lesson."

"I'll stay," Vince said somewhat reluctantly, "if that's alright with Molly."

Molly nodded tearfully. "Th-thank you…"

"I'll call the police as well," the brunette added. "Try not to get killed in that time."

"Oh ha, ha," Lily laughed sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at him. "Try not to upset Molly any further." Vince snorted and shook his head while Molly blinked confusedly.

"I'll go in search with Lily," Luke said before looking at Ixen and Hannah, "will you two be alright on your own?"

Hannah nodded and grinned confidently at Ixen and Bagon. "We can handle ourselves."

"Ixen, could we use your Zubat?" Luke asked as he pulled out a Poké Ball. "We'd have a better chance of tracking them from the air as well as the ground."

Ixen's eyes lit up in realisation. "Oh! Of course."

Quickly pulling out the capsule holding the small bat, Ixen called out Zubat in a flash of light just as Luke called out his Pidgey. Zubat glanced around, twitching her large ears before noticing Pidgey was hovering near her. The Bat Pokémon let out a shriek of surprise before diving down behind Ixen to clutch to her back. Ixen frowned at Zubat's behaviour, it was like she was a completely different Pokémon…

"Hey, Zubat," Ixen said gently, gaining Zubat's attention, "we need your help with something. We need to find some people quickly, do you think you can help?"

Zubat's ears perked as she nodded eagerly, taking to the sky again and hovering in front of Ixen.

"What did they look like, Molly?" Luke asked. "How many of them were there?"

"J-just two," Molly replied quietly, "they had strange black and blue uniforms. On their jackets…on their pockets was this strange, white triangular symbol."

"Were they female or male?"

"M-male."

Luke nodded and turned to Zubat and Pidgey. "Do you think you can locate them?" The two flying Pokémon nodded in response. "It's better if you split up. If one of you find them, go to the pair nearest to you." The bat and the pigeon nodded again before beating their wings and flying off in the direction they were pointed in.

Ixen watched Zubat fly away with a worried expression before shaking her head. _No, Zubat will be fine,_ she reassured herself.

"Let's go," Hannah said determinedly to Ixen, her brown eyes glinting with excitement. "It's time to make those criminals pay."

The four teenagers headed off into the alleyway while Vince stayed with Molly to call the police. The alleyway was dark and narrow, and it didn't take long to figure out why Molly wasn't allowed to venture in there with all of the glass and whatnot littering the ground. Graffiti of all colours stained the walls and fences; Ixen would have considered them pretty if they weren't shaped so horribly. The smell of the alleyway wasn't exactly pleasant either, and even Bagon wrinkled his nose.

A few minutes later they came to a fork in their narrow path leading right and left. After a brief discussion of who should go where, the four teens split into pairs with Ixen and Hannah heading right while Lily and Luke headed left.

Once their numbers had been halved, Ixen began to feel extremely nervous. She was beginning to regret coming along and was half hoping Lily and Luke would find Team Evolution before them. That's when she mentally smacked herself.

_Stop being so scared and selfish, Ixen!_ she mentally berated herself. _Right now there's a scared, upset girl with a missing Pokémon. Suck up your fear for once!_

Ixen hadn't noticed Bagon who was looking up at her with a concerned expression. He could sense the conflict growing in her again, and affectionately nudged his nose against her hand. Ixen glanced down at him before smiling apologetically before tickling his snout. Hannah glanced back at the two with a knowing look, but said nothing. It was obvious that the silent moments that Ixen and Bagon shared were meant only for them.

Suddenly, a familiar chirping gained their attention, and all three of them looked up to see Zubat flying towards them. Ixen felt her heart sink and pound with dismay and excitement as she held her arm out for Zubat to land. Once the little bat had settled, she began chirping and screeching excitedly, and Ixen and Hannah knew immediately that Zubat had found those criminals.

"Show us where they are, Zubat," Ixen said urgently, and Zubat complied. She spread her webbed wings and took to the sky, leading the teenagers in the direction of where the small bat had seen the two criminals.

The minutes that Ixen and Hannah took running after Zubat had its toll on Ixen. She could feel her back beginning to sear up with pain as the painkillers were wearing off, but she ignored it and forced herself on.

The pair quickly grew grateful to Zubat. As they ran on through the maze of alleyways, they realised how similar everything looked and how easy it would have been to get lost. They turned left and right, down alleyways they probably wouldn't have seen, and into neighbourhoods they had never been in before. Eventually, Zubat led them into the clearing of a small, quiet street. Bagon's deep growl informed them they were not alone.

Zubat quickly landed on Ixen's shoulder as two figures turned around to glare at the exhausted teens. Despite being tired and panting heavily, Hannah took a step forward with narrowed eyes, her hand hovering over the Poké Balls attached to her belt.

The two men appeared to be in their early twenties. They wore black jeans and deep blue shirts with black, long-sleeved jackets. Ixen and Hannah saw the symbol of a white triangle with a dark blue 'E' in a fancy style in the middle stitched onto the pocket of their jackets, and Molly's words echoed in their minds. _J-just two, they had strange black and blue uniforms. On their jackets…on their pockets was this strange, white triangular symbol._

"What do you brats want?" one of the grunts demanded to know in a threatening tone. Ixen noticed how the men were struggling to hide something behind them.

"Oh, you know, we were just in the area," Hannah said dismissively. "What about you? You guys look pretty…official to be wandering around in these parts."

The men narrowed their eyes at Hannah, and Ixen felt her heart pound with fear and adrenaline. She was afraid Hannah had provoked them into violence, but she felt the atmosphere change. She felt her blood run cold when the men's eyes landed on the little dragon in her arms.

"Say," the second grunt said with a sly grin, "that's a nice Bagon you got there."

Ixen's eyes narrowed dangerously on the grunt. "Just as nice as that Axew you've stolen?"

Shocked expressions were evident on the grunts' faces. Realising there was no point in pretending anymore, the first man revealed the struggling Tusk Pokémon from behind his back. The sight made Hannah bare her teeth in anger, made Ixen widened her eyes at the fear she could sense from Axew, and made Bagon growl and snarl in the language only Ixen could understand. The little green dragon noticed the teenagers before her red eyes landed on the blacknette.

Ixen knew what Axew was seeing. She wasn't seeing Ixen, she was seeing a Daralexi. :Help me! Daralexi, please! I'm scared…:

_We'll help you,_ Ixen vowed silently. "Let that Axew go."

"Ha, not a chance!" the first grunt laughed bitterly. "Do you even know who you brats are dealing with?"

"Team Evolution," Hannah deadpanned, "the organisation responsible for making six, now seven, trainers' lives a living hell."

The second grunt smirked. "Oh, we're much more than that. With the help and power of Dragon type Pokémon, we'll be the catalyst for this world's evolution! We'll change this world with the power of the-"

The grunt was abruptly cut off when his ally hit him roughly on the head. "Shut _up_, you idiot!"

"Oh how…cliché," Hannah said unimpressed; Ixen, Bagon and Zubat nodded in agreement. "Did you guys even _see_ what happened to the organisations in the other regions? They were stopped, wiped out, washed up. You guys are going to end up the same way."

The two men glared, reaching to grab hold of the single capsule on their belts. Hannah did the same, reaching for Chikorita's Poké Ball. Bagon tensed, ready to jump out of Ixen's arms without a moment's notice if need be. All four of them stood tensed in a stand off, waiting for either side to make a move. None of them noticed the small, familiar pigeon in the sky see them with an expression of shock before turning wing and soaring back towards the maze of alleyways.

Finally growing impatient, the two grunts grabbed their capsules and called out their Pokémon in a flash of light. Ixen's eyes widened in terror as two vicious looking canines materialised out of their Poké Balls. They snarled and bared their sharp fangs at Ixen and Hannah, tensing to lunge and attack.

The pair quickly pulled out their Pokédexs and scanned the canines seeing as neither of them had come across the hounds before.

"Houndour - the Dark Pokémon. To corner prey, they check each other's location using barks only they can understand."

"Poochyena - the Bite Pokémon. It has a very tenacious nature. Its acute sense of smell lets it chase a chosen prey without ever losing track."

Quickly putting her Pokédex away, Hannah grabbed Chikorita's capsule before releasing her to face against the two canines. Chikorita flashed a confident grin before flipping her leaf back, almost as if she was taunting her foes. Bagon leapt from Ixen's arms next to Chikorita, growling threateningly at them.

The grunts flashed a grin at each other before commanding their Pokémon to attack.

"Houndour, use Bite!"

"Poochyena, use Tackle!"

The two hounds lunged forward without hesitation, hurdling towards Bagon and Chikorita. They both stood tensed, ready to dodge or counter attack before wearing confused expressions when the two Dark types dashed past them. They looked back at Ixen and Hannah before their eyes widen in horror when they realised the two canines were going after them instead.

Ixen felt rooted to the spot as the grunt's Poochyena quickly advanced on her. She couldn't move, she couldn't think; her breathing began to grow thin when all she could see was the giant, green Pokémon towering over her. She knew it was a memory, but that didn't make it any less real. Especially when that Pokémon lashed out at her, she felt a forceful blow to her chest winding her. She was knocked to the ground, landing roughly on her back before letting out a gasp of discomfort as a familiar wave of pain took hold again. Zubat took to the sky to avoid the Poochyena's persistent attempts to tackle her, hovering and unsure what to do.

Hannah cried out in pain as the Houndour clamped its jaws around her forearm, wrestling the teen the ground and it shook its head from side to side. Hannah clenched her teeth together before pulling her leg back and forcefully kicking the Houndour in the side. The Dark type whimpered and fell back before dodging Chikorita's Tackle just in time. The Poochyena quickly followed.

:Ixen!: Bagon's cry snapped the blacknette out of her winded daze, and she forced herself to sit up, no matter how painful it was. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw that Bagon was being cornered by the grunts and their Pokémon. She looked over at Hannah helplessly, but realised the blonde wouldn't be able to help with the way she was clutching her bloodied arm.

"Zubat," Ixen panted tiredly but determinedly, "it's up to us." Zubat shrieked in horror, shaking her head. "_Yes_, it is. You can do it, Zubat. I know you can. Use Wing Attack!"

The two canines had pinned Bagon down with ease. No matter how much the little dragon squirmed and struggled, he wasn't strong enough to overpower both of them. The pair of grunts laughed out loud.

"_That_ tiny thing? Really?" the first grunt asked incredulously as though it was the funniest thing in the world. "Yeah right, do me a favour and find yourself a _real Pokémon_ to battle us with."

Ixen bristled for a moment before lowering her head. "Zubat, prove to them what a _real_ Pokémon is. Wing Attack." Ixen's words were quiet, but held a silent anger.

Zubat screeched with the same anger and determination Ixen was feeling before beating her wings and soaring towards the band of criminals with speed none of them were expecting. Zubat braced herself before smashing her powerful wings into the grunts, knocking them to the ground and diving back up into the sky. Out of no where, a dozen or so razor sharp leaves flew through the air, hitting Houndour and Poochyena directly and knocking them away from Bagon. Ixen glanced back to see Chikorita flip her leaf back with a smirk, and nodded gratefully.

Bagon jumped to his feet before turning to the grunts who were still holding Axew captive. The two men glanced at each other nervously, realising that the situation was beginning to turn. Before their Pokémon could defend them, Ixen ordered Zubat to use Super Sonic, confusing the two canines and rendering them useless. The grunts quickly returned their Pokémon back to their capsules, dematerialising them into energy.

Forcing herself to her feet, Ixen slowly but surely made her way over to the grunts as Bagon, Chikorita and Zubat kept them from running. "Release Axew, _now_."

"Wh-who do you think you are?" the first grunt demanded. "You're just a brat! Like we'll-"

Bagon abruptly head butted him in the groin, causing the man to whimper in pain and release Axew from his hold. The Tusk Pokémon leapt from his arm and ran over to Ixen, who scooped the little dragon into the safety of her arms.

:Thank you,: Axew whispered and Ixen smiled back before glaring down at the two men.

"You two can wait here until the police arrives." As if on cue, police sirens began to echo from the distance as Hannah stood up, cradling her arm.

"Tch, like hell we will. We're already in enough trouble with Admin Haze as it is!" The second grunt leapt to his feet, taking Ixen by surprise and slamming his body into hers. Ixen let out a cry of pain as she fell to the ground, giving the second grunt enough distraction to pull his ally to his feet and run away, taking off into one off into a different alleyway.

"Hey, get back here!" Hannah shouted after them.

"Hannah, leave them," Ixen sighed as she sat up. Wincing as a smaller wave of pain ran up and down her back.

"Why?" she demanded. "We can't let them get away!"

"We have Axew," Ixen pointed out, smiling at the dragon in her arms, "that's all that matters right now."

Hannah frowned but said nothing. Both teenagers looked back when they heard their names being called, and saw Pidgey leading Lily and Luke from the alleyway.

* * *

Molly was still hugging Axew tightly by the time the police had left. Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed to the little dragon, apologising over and over for what had happened, and saying how happy and glad she was to see her again. The scene almost brought a tear to Ixen's eyes.

By the time the police had arrived, Team Evolution was gone. Both Ixen and Hannah gave their statements and descriptions of the two Dragon thieves, and a large search was being conducted to arrest the two.

Closer inspection of Hannah's arm revealed that there was only tissue damage and nothing else. And when all of the blood had been cleaned away, the puncture wounds from Houndour's teeth weren't that bad either. Luke had been able to bandage up her arm pretty easily, much to Hannah's relief.

Luckily, none of the wounds on Ixen back had been reopened, and the pain finally subsided when the raven-haired teen took some of the painkillers given to her.

When things had finally settled down, the sun was slowly beginning to dip in the sky, slightly tingeing the clouds orange. The trio realised it would be a long walk back to the Pokémon Centre.

Well, it would have been if not for Molly's offer. "How about you all stay at mine for the night? I have to repay you somehow, and a meal and sleepover sounds just about right."

"Can we?" Hannah asked excitedly. "I accept your offer! What do you two think?"

Vince simply shook his head while Ixen smiled hopelessly. Hannah took their responses as a 'yes' and grinned at Molly who giggled in response. The younger teen turned to Lily and Luke expectantly.

"Of course we're staying," Lily said in an obvious tone. "Luke is as well."

Luke sighed exasperatedly before smiling. "Fine…"

As the six teenagers entered Molly's house, Hannah suggested a board game that made all of them glare at her. "Who wants to play Monopoly?"

"Hannah, shut up."

The rest of the night was filled with laughter, games and lots of chocolate.

* * *

Feel free to leave a review! I'd love to know what you think. c:

Review replies!

**Luna: **I'm glad Zubat has taken a shine to you. ^^ I like Poison types a lot as well, and I agree that they don't get the attention that they deserve. Yep, Ixen was reliving a bad memory. I've actually edited the end of Chapter 9 a couple of weeks ago because when I reread it, it was a little confusing. Don't feel bad, I appreciate it! I probably always end up making a mistake or two (or fifty). That's what reviews are for. You are practically my editor now, I hope that isn't a burden on you. xD Have you thought about becoming a Beta reader?

**Seren: **Yeeaaah, it was a little obvious. xD I'm a big Zubat fan, so it felt right to give Ixen one. ^^ I feel she'll be a big help to the group in the (possible near) future. I feel like trainers usually don't get injuries like they should do in situations like the one in the last chapter, and it's sad because it can sometimes make a good story feel a little unrealistic.

**Elements:** Oh how Outrage would have been useful and destructive in Pokémon Red and Blue. xD

**Oreo: **You're not a horrible fan - I'm grateful for any review I receive, whether it be long, short, detailed or brief. ^^ It is a bit difficult to tell with the way Pokémon are turned into energy when they enter their capsules. I did try to do some research on the healing stations, but I couldn't find anything, so it is all just guesswork. Hahaa, don't worry, I'm a little biased too considering how much I love Hoenn. xD I _might_ give a Fletching to one of the trio… I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!

**Kid:** Thank you for reading my story. ^^ I still need to finish reading 'Choices', but homework from college and trying to get the chapter out of this story has stolen my attention right now. (Ah, the priorities of life~)

**Anbaric: **The first part of your review made me grin, especially when it was only for the first chapter (I assume?). I've improved a lot since I started posting on this site, and I have to tell you, my writing skills were not that great. xD I do try to update weekly/bi-weekly on weekends, but updates might end up being spontaneous due to work. Thank you for reading!

Dolan


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